THE Stover Canal Trust has changed its logo following research confirming the canal's commercial operation began two years earlier than previously thought.

Since its creation, the Trust adopted a logo of a clay barge with a full sail bearing the date 1792, highlighting the date that the canal had reached Ventiford Basin at Teigngrace, where its then owner, James Templer, called a halt to further extension.

However, subsequent research has highlighted contemporary press reports from 1790 reporting that work to construct a canal connecting with the River Teign had actually commenced in January 1790, with the stated aim of extending it onward to Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh.

This was followed by the announcement in the first week of March 1790, that the canal, having already reached Teignbridge, had allowed the first twenty-ton barge load of clay to travel down the canal to the awaiting ships at Teignmouth dock.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: ‘While the canal was actually created by the enlargement of an existing watercourse complete with extant water supply, as opposed to the cutting and feeding of a completely new canal, it was still an amazing achievement to get a one-mile section of canal, complete with locks operational in just three months.

‘This must have subsequently allowed James Templer to commence the commercial operation of the canal to recover his ongoing costs.

‘This, therefore, moved the established operation of the canal two years back to 1790’.

As such, the Stover Canal Trust has amended its logo to show within the barge sail ‘Stover Canal’ with '1790-1939', reflecting the first and final date of barge traffic on the canal.