Letter from Henry Booth, company secretary and treasurer of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, to James Loch, Bloomsbury Square, London with a report on the survey of Chat Moss by Thomas Shaw Brandreth

To James Loch, 5th December 1826
Liverpool 5 Dec 1826
Dear Sir
I beg to hand you copy of Mr Brandreth’s Report of the state of the Moss laid before the Directors yesterday which I hope will be interesting to you – one or two other of the Directors would have accompanied Mr Brandreth .... Stephenson had it not been for misinformation –
I have this day a letter from Mr Wilson of .... stating that he cannot at present fix the time of his coming, but hopes he shall be able to undertake the journey when the weather is a little more favourable –
I am .... sir
Yours very truly
Mr. Booth
.... Loch Esq

[Page 2]

Report
On Friday last I arrived at Bury Lane about eleven o’Clock, and met Mr. Stephenson just coming off the Moss. He had been over the whole length, but returned with me as far as the astley path. We first examined an Embankment of about 150 Yards in length and 50 feet high; it had been formed, in two lots, which were now joined, by waste cuttings from the edge of the Moss, which would improve the value of the Land, they were taken from. It appeared to stand remarkably well; the sides are regularly built up with sods at an angle of 45o; the little .... which is now perceptible, probably arises from the different times of formation, and will be diminished when the whole is equally dry. The ditches which had been cut eight feet deep to the bottom of the Moss, and which, as remarked by Mr. Loch, had shrunk from four to one or two feet wide, and being now dry did not show any symptoms of further shrinking. We next examined the first cutting through a high part of the Moss, and the embankment formed by the stuff got out. On this part a temporary Rail Road is laid about 400 Yards in length, which will soon join the first mentioned embankment, when about – 700 Yards may be laid. At present it is both crooked and uneven, and wants laying again. I observed a slight waving motion as the waggons passed over; there is no material placed upon the road except Fir branches to support the sleepers, which are sound Fir Poles. At the low part of the line a Brick .... is in preparation to carry the water under the road. A second cutting is in progress beyond, which will carry an Embankment across the low part, and join the former work in a few months. As it had been raining the whole night, and was then raining heavily, I wished to enquire what became of the water which fell on the surface of the Moss. We therefore went up the astley path to .... line, where we found the ditches full of water, and running very freely. The upper or south side was covered with water and full of pools, which the lower side was comparatively free. The walking on the road from not having been much trodden was tolerably good, though the ditches in the flow Moss, and indeed the whole upper side, were so soft as to take a man over head immediately. The Drains in the <> road had very little water in them, which appears attributable to two causes; first in the protection afforded by the ditches on the upper line; secondly to its proximity to the edge of the Moss, though improved, is still very soft, and appears to require some more effectual mode of drainage. Mr. Stephenson agreed to cut guard ditches, and to lay a path for the workmen to prevent the edges from being trodden in. On the whole the work appears to be proceeding in a very satisfactory manner, and I do not see any reason for discontinuance.
T.S. Brandreth

[page three]

James Loch Esq
Bloomsbury Square,
Paid London

Dec 5th 1826
W.H. Booth
-T.S. Brandriths reportion states of that ....