Shropshire Routes to Roots

5. The cost of transport

More efficient transport - lower costs

The profitability of a business such as mineral extraction relies on many factors, two of which are:

• the forms of transport that are available
• transport costs.

Heavy loads took a while to carry Larger image, in a new window [30kb] [Reproduced with kind permission Luton Museum Service]

In hilly areas such as Wales and South Shropshire, most heavy freight was carried by pack-horse. A strong horse could carry just over 2 hundredweight and was most efficient in that it could negotiate tracks unattainable by a cart. Waggons had been in use since the Middle-Ages, and as roads were improved, so more transport went over to horse-drawn carts and wagons. However, the amount carried, whilst huge compared to what a packhorse could manage, was still minimal per horse/vehicle.

At this time, overland freight charges were between 7d (3p) and 9d (4p) per mile, per ton carried. Not only had the road haulier to contend with terrible roads, but the price of breakdowns, tolls and the shoeing of the horses all added to his costs. With the advent of canals, the rates reflected those of river carriage and dropped to around 1d per ton per mile and, of course, far greater loads could be carried. The investors in canals realized that they could charge reasonable rates, and still make a profit, while the producers could take advantage of the much reduced cartage fees, compared to overland transport.

Typical toll charges Larger image, in a new window [61kb] [Reproduced with kind permission Luton Museum Service]

The tonnage moving along the Montgomery branch of the Ellesmere Canal in the 1840s reflected how much the canals had become the main form of heavy haulage.

The coalmines of Morda were producing slack (Low grade, fine particle) and Household (medium quality, medium size) coal, while the Llanymynech quarries were hard pressed to keep up with the growing demand for road stone. This stretch of the canal alone was carrying an average total tonnage of over 100,000 tons per year. Similar amounts were being shipped from the collieries around St. Martins so the total traffic on the Ellesmere was quite considerable.

Transporting minerals by boat was highly favoured because of the amount that could be carried compared to the old overland methods. Soon, however, there was another form of transport that would completely overtake the canals for both amount carried, and more importantly, speed of delivery.

Railways had the advantages of pulling power and versatility. Steam engines could haul massive amounts that could be taken from the source of the material directly into industrial complexes. You can find out more on how the coming of the railways affected the Oswestry area in the The Cambrian Railway theme.

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