In 1802, he produced a revised proposal, to route the rest of the canal to Norton on the Grand Junction, with a branch to Market Harborough.

Thomas Telford was then asked for his opinion, and he also proposed a change of destination to Norton, but via the town of Market Harborough.

[5] Experience on the Grand Junction showed that broad boats caused delays as they could not pass in the tunnels, and so the Grand Junction was happy for the new canal to be built with only narrow locks, but with broad tunnels and bridges to allow passing of boats.

By late 1812, the Foxton flight was completed, and the canal to the eastern portal of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel was opened.

To avoid a deep cutting and a short tunnel at Watford, the company eventually agreed to buy the land they needed from a Mrs Bennett, despite the cost of £2,000 plus £125 per acre (£310/ha).

She drove a hard bargain, insisting that she be allowed to keep a pleasure boat on the summit level, and that she should appoint the Watford lock keeper, to ensure that he would always be civil to her and her tenants, and would protect her property from damage by boatmen.

The 1.6-mile (2.6 km) Welford Arm, which was essentially a navigable feeder, since it connected to the reservoirs which provided the water supply, was not completed until November.

[12] A close working relationship developed with the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union to help stave off competition from the railways, but toll receipts spiralled downwards, from £7,551 in 1848 to £3,108 in 1858, £1,024 in 1875 and just £742 in 1885.

Costly repairs were carried out on both of the tunnels, which interrupted traffic while the work was done, and the company managed to build an ice-boat and a dredger, but by 1884, they were almost penniless.

After making enquiries, Fellows was offered both of the canals for £20,000, and after further discussion with the Grand Junction company, they asked him to act as their agent and buy both.

They then talked to Fellows Morton & Clayton again, and revived the plans to allow them to work wide-beam barges over the Grand Union route.

Plans for an inclined plane at Foxton Locks were approved in July 1897, tenders were received in November, and the contract was given to J & H Gwynne & Co, based in Hammersmith.

In August they complained to Fellows Morton & Clayton that through traffic of coal had continued to decline, and they rebuilt the locks at Watford between November 1901 and February 1902.

Despite the failure of the scheme, the company recommended to the Royal Commission held in 1906 that a number of other canals should be upgraded to take 80-ton barges, and suggested that several other inclined planes should be built.

Having raised £881,000 to enable the route from Birmingham to London to be widened to take boats with a 12.5-foot (3.8 m) beam, and received Government grants to cover interest payments on loans of £500,000, the work began in 1931.

The estimated cost of widening the two flights was £144,000, but the Government refused to make a grant later that year, and the work was never carried out.