▁and ▁Sh arp ness ; ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁length ▁it ▁runs ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁ ▁tid al ▁River ▁Se vern , ▁but ▁cut s ▁off ▁a ▁significant ▁loop ▁in ▁the ▁river , ▁at ▁a ▁once - d anger ous ▁b end ▁near ▁Ar ling ham . ▁It ▁was ▁once ▁the ▁broad est ▁and ▁deep est ▁canal ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁canal ▁is ▁ ▁long . ▁▁ 1 8 th - century ▁conception ▁Con ce ived ▁in ▁the ▁canal ▁man ia ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Gl ouc ester ▁and ▁Ber keley ▁Sh ip ▁Canal ▁scheme ▁( as ▁it ▁was ▁originally ▁named ) ▁was ▁started ▁by ▁architect ▁and ▁civil ▁engineer ▁Robert ▁My l ne . ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 3 ▁an ▁Act ▁of ▁Parliament ▁was ▁obtained ▁author ising ▁the ▁raising ▁of ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁£ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁project ▁rapidly ▁encountered ▁financial ▁difficulties ▁– ▁to ▁such ▁an ▁extent ▁that ▁My l ne ▁left ▁the ▁project ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 8 . ▁By ▁mid - 1 7 9 9 ▁costs ▁had ▁reached ▁£ 1 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁but ▁only ▁ ▁of ▁the ▁canal ▁had ▁been ▁completed . ▁Robert ▁My l ne ' s ▁role ▁was ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁James ▁D ad ford ▁who ▁had ▁originally ▁been ▁engaged ▁as ▁resident ▁engineer ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 . ▁L ack ▁of ▁funds ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁ce asing ▁to ▁employ ▁D ad ford ▁in