Coultershaw Wharf Coultershaw Wharf and Beam Pump

the former mill pond @ coultershaw site of wharves rear (september 2009)

between 1791 , 1794, third earl of egremont financed upgrading of river rother , construction of series of locks, make river navigable commercial traffic between river arun @ pulborough , midhurst.

digging route new rother navigation began in august 1791 @ stopham, where, use of river arun, connected wey , arun canal , london. end of july 1792, excavations had been completed coultershaw wharf, canal made use of millstream, here ran due south, main stream of river running in large meander west weir @ head. @ mill itself, fourth lock constructed few yards west of mill. june 1793, commercial traffic had started use canal timber being carried coultershaw arun in august 1793. in november 1794, first barge loads of chalk arrived @ newly built kiln @ coultershaw, situated east of road hundred yards north of mill.

until 1800, turnpike chichester petworth descended duncton hill before crossing river rother @ rotherbridge, half mile north-west of coultershaw. petworth turnpike trustees, including third earl of egremont, suspected william warren, miller @ coultershaw, allowing friends cross river using mill bridge, avoiding toll use of turnpike. act of parliament in 1800, lord egremont paid construction of new bridge @ coultershaw , re-routing of turnpike direct there petworth. result, former twin-arched bridge @ rotherbridge pulled down , stone used build new bridge @ coultershaw toll-house on west bank of river.

although coultershaw 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of petworth, nearest wharf on navigation , eased transport of fertiliser, coal , building materials town , surrounding areas , improved access wider markets agricultural, timber , other products. wharf @ coultershaw busiest on navigation, handling on half navigation s traffic. in 1820, 1,683 tons of coal carried coultershaw.

river rother @ coultershaw in flood. near bridge lock cut of derelict rother navigation, has been lowered. above bridge, out of sight, left of lock. (february 2011)

by 1808, wharf stretched on both sides of river. big wharf on north (east) bank, contained small warehouse (leased william upton, petworth merchant, until 1840), blacksmith s shop , shoeing shed (leased michael ford), , 6 coal pens. variety of huts , storehouses stood on little wharf on south (west) bank. adjacent wharf stood flour mill (now leased william dale), lord egremont s limekilns nearby.

the navigation @ busiest 1823 1863, annual tonnage never falling below 10,000. in 1843, quantity of coal carried coultershaw had risen 2,000 tons total of 7,000 tons of merchandise passing through coultershaw year, represented 55% of total traffic on navigation.

in october 1859, london brighton , south coast railway opened railway line pulborough petworth new petworth station being sited half mile south coultershaw, 2 mi (3.2 km) in town centre. @ first, railway had little effect on navigation until, in 1863, arun valley line extended south pulborough arundel , ford connected south coast mainline. within year, navigation had lost 5,000 tons or 40% of annual traffic. extension of railway midhurst in 1866, resulted in further loss of traffic, canal traffic being restricted loads, such large trees, large railway.

commercial traffic continued on navigation until 1888 although formally abandoned in 1936.

the toll house @ coultershaw demolished in late 1870s, although foundations still visible on west side of canal bridge in 1950s. lock , bridge have survived despite being threatened destruction need widen narrow bridge carrying a285 road petworth chichester.

there 2 bridges @ coultershaw wharf: on river rother, built in 1803, still carries heavy traffic of a285; bridge on former navigation steep hump type, road bed has since been flattened out.