19th century canal, 'Beaumont Cut', Beaumont-Cum-Moze (EHER 83447)

Beaumont Cut is an early 19th century coastal canal comprising an artificial navigation along the northern shore of Hamford Water, probably constructed in about 1830, at the same time as Beaumont Quay (see NMR no TM 12 SE 34). The navigation comprises an artificial channel built in a series of straight sections over a distance of around one kilometre from deeper water at TM 1985 2405 up to the head of Landermere Creek at Beaumont Quay. A large earthwork bank flanks its southern side towards the western end. As it approaches the quay, the channel is 12 metres wide and was deep enough to allow sailing vessels of up to 100 tons, requiring around 5 foot of water. The end of the Cut at the quay is widened into a small basin to permit vessels to turn around. Both Beaumont Cut and Beaumont Quay were built to satisfy local demand, served by small coastal vessels, for agricultural produce, coal, timber, guano, lime etc. Beaumont Cut has not been used for commercial traffic since around 1925.

Beaumont Cut was probably built at the same time as Beaumont Quay (EHER 9121) in 1832. <1> <2> <3> 1994. Field survey. Beaumont Cut is an artificial channel created so that barges could reach Beaumont Quay (EHER 9121). A bank has been artificially raised parallel to the sea wall on the seaward side, built out of earth with wooden post piling. This is visible where the bank has eroded and has at one time existed all the way along, probably to or past the hard at TM 1985 2408. There are revetments round the mouth or entrance from the quay area to the docking area. This entrance is perhaps similar to the mooring area at Goldhanger, where there is evidence that the top of the area was revetted out from the sea wall. There is the possibility that lock gates may have been fitted here which would have created a dry-dock for repairing barges or undertaking construction. <4> See photographs which are possibly from this survey: <5>. April-May 1996. Field survey by RCHME. Beaumont Cut: recorded during the RCHME survey of Beaumont Quay in April and May 1996, comprises an artificial navigation along the northern shore of Hamford Water, constructed in the early 19th century, probably in around 1830 at the same time as Beaumont Quay (EHER 9121). The navigation comprises an artificial channel built in a series of straight sections over a distance of around 1 kilometre from deeper water at TM 1985 2405 up to the head of Landermere Creek at Beaumont Quay. A large earthwork bank flanks its southern side towards the western end. As it approaches the quay, the channel is 12m wide and was deep enough to allow sailing vessels of up to 100 tons, requiring around 5ft of water. The end of the Cut at the quay is widened into a small basin to permit vessels to turn around. Both Beaumont Cut and Beaumont Quay were built to satisfy local demand, served by small coastal vessels, for agricultural produce, coal, timber, guano, lime etc. Beaumont Cut has not been used for commercial traffic since around 1925. A full survey report and survey plan at 1:1000 scale are contained in the NMR archive. <6> <7> <8> <9> 2002. Field survey. The quay (see EHER 9121 more more) is 80m long in total, built along the northern bank of the Cut mostly in a straight line, except at the eastern end where it has been altered to curve around the later lime kiln. Behind the quay revetment and running its full length is a level earthen strip, 6m wide, forming the quayside, its northern edge is defined by a slight scarp 0.6m high. To the south west of the quay frontage are the timber remains of a sluice, which linked the end of Beaumont Cut with Landermere Creek (see EHER 14892) and some driven stakes which represent the remains of a footbridge structure. Located at the head of the creek is the wreck of the 'Rose' (see EHER 14891). <10> January 2003. Scheduled Ancient Monument. The quay was Scheduled alongside the lime kiln (EHER 81767) and the standing and buried remains of associated buildings (EHER 81770), and the wreck of a contemporary cargo vessel The Rose (EHER 81766). <11> February 2005. Field survey. Statement of Condition Assessment and Conservation Management Statement from February 2005. <12> See aerial photographs: <13> <14> <15> <16> <17> <18> and NMP cropmark plot <19>. See dated photographs: [Probably historic] photographs of Beaumont Quay with sailing barges working. <20> Photographs of stone plaque from 1966. <21> Photograph of cuts and barge from 1966. <22> Photographs of lime kiln (EHER 81767) from 1996/1997. <23> Pre restoration photographs of tile kiln (EHER X?) from 1996/1997, 7 in total. <24> Photographs of the lime kiln renovation from 1997, showing before and after, 47 in total. <25> Photographs of the area around Beaumont Quay taken late 1990s, 22 in total. <26> Photographs of the renovation of the area around Beaumont Quay in August 2001. <27> See other unidentified or undated photographs: <28> <29> <30>. Industrial Record Number EX/AAG/SG1. <31> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. NRHE summary description: Beaumont Cut is an early 19th century coastal canal comprising an artificial navigation along the northern shore of Hamford Water, probably constructed in about 1830, at the same time as Beaumont Quay (see NMR no TM 12 SE 34). The navigation comprises an artificial channel built in a series of straight sections over a distance of around one kilometre from deeper water at TM 1985 2405 up to the head of Landermere Creek at Beaumont Quay. A large earthwork bank flanks its southern side towards the western end. As it approaches the quay, the channel is 12 metres wide and was deep enough to allow sailing vessels of up to 100 tons, requiring around 5 foot of water. The end of the Cut at the quay is widened into a small basin to permit vessels to turn around. Both Beaumont Cut and Beaumont Quay were built to satisfy local demand, served by small coastal vessels, for agricultural produce, coal, timber, guano, lime etc. Beaumont Cut has not been used for commercial traffic since around 1925.