By the end of the 1700s the engineers had turned their attention to the transport infrastructure in the South West and since this was before the railway age, all they knew was water!The GWC ran between Tiverton (Devon) and Taunton (Somerset). I believe it was due to the need for burnt lime to fertilise the fields that justified the Act of Parliament in 1796.The task was tackled in two halves....a midpoint at Lowdwells to Tiverton (down in Devon) first, then the stretch up to Taunton. Grander plans were afoot to connect it to the coast to cut out that perilous trip around Lands End by sea, but was never realised......yes, you guessed it, they ran out of time and money and the railways came!Engineers responsible for this project include:
- James Brindley
- John Rennie
- James Green
