▁Canal ▁ran ▁for ▁approximately ▁ ▁through ▁two ▁lo cks ▁from ▁G last on bury ▁to ▁High bridge ▁in ▁Som erset , ▁England , ▁where ▁it ▁entered ▁the ▁River ▁Par rett ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁the ▁Br istol ▁Channel . ▁The ▁canal ▁was ▁author ised ▁by ▁Parliament ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 ▁and ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 . ▁It ▁was ▁operated ▁by ▁The ▁G last on bury ▁Navigation ▁& ▁Canal ▁Company . ▁Most ▁of ▁it ▁was ▁abandoned ▁as ▁a ▁navigation ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁when ▁a ▁railway ▁was ▁built ▁along ▁the ▁to w path . ▁ ▁An ▁earlier ▁canal ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁to ▁supply ▁G last on bury ▁Ab bey ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁with ▁stone ▁and ▁produce . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁a ▁new ▁canal ▁was ▁proposed ▁to ▁improve ▁commerce ▁in ▁G last on bury ▁and ▁help ▁with ▁d rain age ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁Som erset ▁Level s . ▁Several ▁alternative ▁routes ▁were ▁considered ▁and ▁cost ed ▁before ▁obtain ing ▁an ▁Act ▁of ▁Parliament ▁and ▁issu ing ▁a ▁prospect us ▁to ▁raise ▁funds ▁for ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁the ▁canal . ▁Const ruction ▁comm enced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ; ▁however ▁it ▁was ▁more ▁expensive ▁than ▁en vis aged ▁and ▁further ▁funds ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁raised . ▁It ▁finally ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 3 ▁but ▁was ▁only ▁prosper ous ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁period . ▁The ▁short fall ▁in ▁income ▁and ▁engineering