rdfs:comment
| - In 1887, William Burke was asked to survey the river with a view to extending navigation. Three years later the navigation act was passed, enabling construction upon the navigation to begin. However, the initial estimates of cost were soon exceeded, and work slowed. Eventually, about 1912, the canalisation of the Abby was completed, and the river was navigable troughout the whole Island of Kings. The navigation totalled 22 miles in length and featured 19 locks. Trade along the Abby navigation consisted mostly of lime, chalk, manure, aggregates and coal. Whilst in 1901
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abstract
| - In 1887, William Burke was asked to survey the river with a view to extending navigation. Three years later the navigation act was passed, enabling construction upon the navigation to begin. However, the initial estimates of cost were soon exceeded, and work slowed. Eventually, about 1912, the canalisation of the Abby was completed, and the river was navigable troughout the whole Island of Kings. The navigation totalled 22 miles in length and featured 19 locks. Trade along the Abby navigation consisted mostly of lime, chalk, manure, aggregates and coal. Whilst in 1901 there were 51 barges registered as trading on the river (21 of which worked the river above Lewes), the navigation was never a huge commercial success. During the 1940s, as railways proved to be a cheaper and faster method of transporting goods, attempts were made to attract more trade by reducing tolls, but this had little effect and by 1868 all trade above the river had ceased, although boats continued working on the Lower Abby to Newhaven right up to the 1950s. Today, the remains of most of the old locks are still visible, although there is recently planned to renew them all. The restoration is promoted by Newhaven and the state of Kings.
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