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  • Ridd Inclined Plane Restoration
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Furzebeam

The Furzebeam section begins soon after the canal has crossed the Beam Aqueduct, where the canal went around the outside of a loop in the river under Furzebeam Hill. There is a permissive path along this section and although you need to watch where you walk, it is well worth a detour off the Tarka Trail.
Picture
A substantial accommodation bridge once carried the driveway to Beam House, the old aqueduct now serves the same purpose. You can see just how narrow the tub-boats were, the towpath is nearly as wide as the canal. 
Picture


​There now follows a remarkable section of the canal, squeezed in between a sharp drop down to the river Torridge on one side and solid rock on the other. In many places the canal was barely wide enough to fit the tub-boats, even though they were only 5' 6" wide (1.75m).

​For nearly 150 years from closure this section changed very little, until the Winter of 2015/16....

Picture


​.... when a part of the walled embankment suffered a partial collapse. Half of the towpath was lost and the permissive footpath was closed as a safety measure. Over the following months, Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Society stalwart, Tony Barnes, led a team of volunteers who created a diversion to the path.

Picture




​
It is hoped that the damage embankment can be reinstated at a future date, but it's going to cost a lot of money and will be something of a logistical nightmare.


More photos of the Furzebean section HERE
Please note that many features of the Canal are on private land and permission should be obtained before exploring these parts.
Registered as a Charity at HMRC No. ZD 09423
© Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Society 2018 - 2025
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  • Guided Walks
  • History
  • Restoration
  • Location
  • Features
    • Sea Lock
    • Ridd Inclined Plane
    • Beam Aqueduct
    • Furzebeam
    • Staple Vale & the Rolle Road
    • New Town Mills
    • Rosemoor
    • Tucking Mill
    • Darkham Weir
  • Galleries
    • Sea Lock
    • Ridd Inclined Plane
    • Beam Aqueduct
    • Furzebeam
    • Rolle Road
    • Rosemoor and Darkham Weir
  • Other North Devon Waterways
  • Ridd Inclined Plane Restoration
  • Restoration of the Canal Basins at Sea Lock
  • Archive
    • Old Newsletters
    • Photos
    • Maps
    • Newspaper Clippings
    • Rolle Ramble
  • Join the Society
  • Contacts
  • Annual General Meeting 6th April 2025