STEPHEN BALLARD
CANAL ENGINEER 1827
STEPHEN BALLARD HEREFORD & GLOUCESTER CANAL
In 1827 a young man from Malvern Link, Stephen Ballard, had
been appointed as clerk to the company. He engaged in various projects to gain canal
experience - inspecting established canals, bridges and locks, conducting survey work and
constructing reservoirs, drainage schemes and water supplies. By 1837 he was the
company’s engineer and was surveying the proposed canal extension to Hereford.
He turned out to have the drive and enthusiasm necessary to
see the project through. Excavation began again in 1839, with Ballard working 16 hour days
surveying and supervising the proceedings. He constantly had to tussle with the shortage
of funds for continuing the work.
The canal basin at Hereford was filled with water in May 1845. The momentous event was
greeted by not a single onlooker: the canal was completed 50 years too late - in the mid
1800s, this was already the age of the train.
On the completion of his task Ballard wrote:
The country looked beautiful and I could not refrain from shedding tears, near 18 years
have I been employed on the canal…
A "young" looking Ballard in a portrait taken from David Bick's book
Stephen Ballard’s greatest engineering achievement and the Trust’s showpiece, is Skew Bridge at Monkhide. It is built at an angle of more than 60 degrees to the road that crosses the canal at this point and it is the most askew bridge on the entire waterways system. It is a remarkable building feat with the brick work running in diagonal lines and it is now a Grade II "listed building". Ballard must have built it for the satisfaction it gave him – he could much more easily have changed the line of the canal or the road to make a skewed bridge unnecessary!
The showpiece of the restoration Ballard's Skew Bridge, the most askew bridge on the
entire inland waterway system. The bridge is a Grade II listed building and now displays a
plaque unveiled by Stephen Ballard, grandson of its builder. The first narrow
boat to use the canal for 100 years was the Maria Ballard, named after Ballard's wife, and
christened by grandson Stephen at the age of 92 in 1994.
(CONTENT PAGE) (INTERESTING INDIVIDUALS)
Author information goes here.
Copyright © 1999 by Adrian John Ballard. All rights reserved.
Revised: 18 Aug 2000 21:24:11 GMT Daylight Time.
