The Melksham, Calne and Chippenham Branch
 
 
PEWSHAM LOCK CHARACTERS
 

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Contractors 

1795  Contractors John Bosville & Stephen Holland were employed to start at Outmarsh near Semington, to dig out the canal foundations.

North of Double Bridge, they met William Edwards who had started at Stanley and worked his way south, excavating the locks and basins at Pewsham.

1795 – 1799  John Bosville was also a bricklayer, and he was employed with John Smith to build many of the structures:

·       Swivel bridge at bottom of Naish Hill

·       Double Bridge

·       Croker’s Bridge

·       Three locks at Pewsham

·       The towpath at Pewsham

By 1797, the canal as a navigation had reached Melksham, the locks at Pewsham were well under way, and the company of John Smith and John Bosville had completed Derry Hill Bridge under the Chippenham – Calne Turnpike Road.

1797-9  One wall of Pewsham Top Lock had to be pulled down and rebuilt, so £50 was deducted from Smith & Bosville’s account.

1797 – 1798  William Large and Joseph Camm were contracted to excavate the Chippenham Arm (‘Ippy Cut’).

1799     John Bosville and Stephen Holland puddled the Pewsham Locks and dug out the foundations of the Lock Cottage.

 

 
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