Wye and Lugg Navigation

Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation and Horse Towing-path
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The Navigation's History

In 1662, during the fourteenth year of the reign of Charles the Second, Sir William Sandys was empowered by private Act of Parliament to make and maintain a navigation on the Rivers Wye and Lugg in Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire.
The Commissioners of the Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation had the transfer to them of the navigation undertaking of Sir William Sandys, Windsor Sandys and Henry Sandys ratified by Act of Parliament in 1695. Sir William had, in fact, transferred much of this undertaking to these same individuals by indenture in 1664, after finishing the navigation works.

The preamble to this Act begins: "Whereas the free and open navigation upon the Rivers Wye and Lugg, and the streams falling into them may be a great increase of public trade, and a beneficial easy conveyance of ship timber, and a continual nursery of seamen for the supply of His Majesty's Navy ... ".
The Commissioners were renamed as Trustees, and had their task redefined, by Act of Parliament in 1727. The trusteeship was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1809 as the Company of Proprietors of the Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation and Horse Towing-path, during the time of the great canal building boom. We continue this tradition today, over 330 years later.
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The Wye at Symonds Yat

The history of the navigation can be found in the book "The Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation, 1555 to 1951: A Documentary History", by V.R. Stockinger (Eyre & Strahan / Logaston Press, 1996) (ISBN 1 873827 89 X). This is available for Ł25 + Ł2 p&p from the Secretary of the Herefordshire Boatmen's Organisation, c/o Fern Cottage, Shelwick, Hereford HR1 3AL, tel: (01432) 344 774, fax: (01432) 344 136.
The first section of the Act of 1695 states that "the said Rivers of Wye and Lugg be, and from henceforth be accounted, deemed and taken to be free and common rivers and streams, to and for all His Majesty's subjects, freely to make use of for the carrying and conveying of all passengers, goods, wares and commodities, by boats, barges, lighters and other vessels whatsoever". And so it remains today.

The preamble to this Act begins: "Whereas the free and open navigation upon the Rivers Wye and Lugg, and the streams falling into them may be a great increase of public trade, and a beneficial easy conveyance of ship timber, and a continual nursery of seamen for the supply of His Majesty's Navy ... ". The Commissioners were renamed as Trustees, and had their task redefined, by Act of Parliament in 1727. The trusteeship was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1809 as the Company of Proprietors of the Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation and Horse Towing-path, during the time of the great canal building boom. We continue this tradition today, over 330 years later.
The Wye at Symonds Yat
The history of the navigation can be found in the book "The Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation, 1555 to 1951: A Documentary History", by V.R. Stockinger (Eyre & Strahan / Logaston Press, 1996) (ISBN 1 873827 89 X). This is available for Ł25 + Ł2 p&p from the Secretary of the Herefordshire Boatmen's Organisation, c/o Fern Cottage, Shelwick, Hereford HR1 3AL, tel: (01432) 344 774, fax: (01432) 344 136. The first section of the Act of 1695 states that "the said Rivers of Wye and Lugg be, and from henceforth be accounted, deemed and taken to be free and common rivers and streams, to and for all His Majesty's subjects, freely to make use of for the carrying and conveying of all passengers, goods, wares and commodities, by boats, barges, lighters and other vessels whatsoever". And so it remains today.

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Rivers Wye and Lugg Navigation and Horse Towing-path