Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain

A standard reference work in its day, this 1831 account provides alphabetical entries relating to British waterways and railways.

Published in 1831 as a companion to a recently prepared map of inland navigation, this work provides alphabetical coverage of Britain's waterways and railways at that time. Written by the canal manager Joseph Priestley (1767–1852), it stands as a valuable reference work in the history of technology and transport.This account of the waterways and railways of Great Britain covers those transport routes and systems of inland navigation that had been completed or were in construction at the time of publication in 1831. Not to be confused with his polymath namesake, Joseph Priestley (1766–1852) entrenched his expertise as manager of the Aire and Calder Navigation. Here he provides alphabetical entries ranging from the Aberdare Canal in Glamorganshire to the Wyrley and Essington Canal in the Midlands. Details are given regarding location, construction, relevant Acts of Parliament, and even tonnage rates. Published to accompany a huge map of British inland navigation (a smaller version is featured here as the frontispiece), the book became a standard reference work in its day. Shedding light on the development of commercially crucial infrastructure, it remains valuable to readers and researchers interested in the history of British transport and technology.