OK, most years we have a charity plastic duck race, but apart from that, the rivers seem to be used almost exclusively as something to walk dogs alongside.
The two rivers join together on the eastern side of the town and become the River Ivel which, for a brief 50 year period was navigable through from king's Lynn - the Ivel Navigation.
The first phase of the Ivel Navigation opened in 1758 and ran from Tempsford to Biggleswade. At Tempsford it joined the Great Ouse, linking through to the major Wash port of King's Lynn.
In 1823 it was extended to Shefford, mainly to bring coal and timber from King's Lynn for the lucrative market of Hitchin. The roads in the area at that time were pretty dire by all accounts.
Starting in 1850, the Great Northern and Midland railways quickly made the Ivel Navigation uneconomical, and on 13th July 1876 an abandonment Act for the Ivel Navigation received royal assent.
The property was sold off, and the sluices, staunches and locks were transferred to the (water) millers.
So, to my knowledge, no vessel has navigated from Shefford to King's Lynn since 1876 (130 years @ 2016).
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| Shefford Wharf - the only easily visible remains of the Ivel Navigation in Shefford |
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