Näsijärven reitin kanavat

English translation (from the Finnish)

The text above is the record as published by the Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto), in Finnish. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto); it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

The canals of Murole and Kauttu in Ruovesi, together with Herraskoski in Virrat, were built for log driving on the Näsijärvi route and for passenger shipping on inland waterways. They represent the peak of canal construction on inland waterways in the second half of the 19th century. The canal settings, with their structures, buildings and plantings, are very well preserved.

The canals of the Näsijärvi inland waterway connect lakes of the Kokemäenjoki water system north of Tampere. At Murolekoski in Ruovesi, the canal setting is one of the canal environments that has best kept its original character, and the Kautu canal is the most significant canal built in the second half of the 19th century. In the northern part of the waterway, the connection of the well-preserved Herraskoski canal in Virrat to the landscape is still discernible.

The most important canal in the Näsijärvi water system, the Murole canal in Ruovesi, connects Näsijärvi and Tarjannevesi. The Murole canal, built in the 1850s, is the last of the actual canals from the first phase of canal works. The canal is 315 metres long. Preserved from the canal's building stock are the lock-keeper's residence, outbuildings, old yard trees and a spruce hedge bordering the canal. The active period of the canal environment ran from the late 19th century to the 1930s. From this period have survived, among others, the three-arched stone bridge completed in the early 20th century, fortification installations from the First World War, the Murolekoski manor, villa buildings, cottage settlement, and the Tukkila log-driving base, linked to the use of the rapids for log driving. In addition, the area has remains of a steam sawmill, a tar factory and a shipyard. After the Vääksy canal, the Murole canal is the second busiest canal in the country.

The open-cut Kautu canal lies between Ruovesi and Palovesi, in the Ruovesi narrows south-east of the church village. The canal setting includes the lock-keeper's house and a swing bridge crossing the canal. The road bridge over the Kautu canal was replaced in 1982 by a new concrete bridge running at the height of the treetops, so that the canal also suits sailing-boat traffic. The main building of the nearby Ruhala manor, founded in the 1910s as an outlying manor of Pekkala, was completed in 1939 to the designs of architect Sigurd Frosterus. It is in the 'uusasiallinen' (New Objectivity) style.

At the head waters of the Näsijärvi route, the lock canal at Herraskoski, built in the early 20th century, connects Toisvesi and Vaskivesi north-west of the church village of Virrat. The canal is about 800 metres long and its banks are laid with large natural stone of dressed ashlar. The canal setting includes the lock-keeper's residential building beside the lock, surrounded by a yard park and completed in 1906. The Art Nouveau building was designed by Gustaf Nyström. The old road leading to Herraskoski ran past the lock-keeper's house. The road alignment and the swing bridge that crossed the canal, completed in 1907 but later taken out of use, have survived. Opposite the lock-keeper's house, on the other side of the canal, is the canal museum, built to resemble an outbuilding that was demolished earlier. On the canal bank is a well-kept park planted with broadleaf trees, and the canal is lined along its full length with pihtakuusi (Siberian spruce) and later with sembramänty, whose rows give the landscape a distinctive cultural-environment character. The Herraskoski canal is today used only for tourism.

History

Permanent settlement grew up at the fishing places on the rapids of the Kokemäenjoki waterway as early as the 16th century. At Murolekoski there was the Murolekoski farm, and at Virrat there was the settlement at Herraskoski.

To make way for shipping, the shallow rapids of the inland waterways began to be cleared in the first half of the 18th century and in the 1820s. The first was Murolekoski in Ruovesi.

Improving the waterways north of Tampere became especially topical as the town grew rapidly in the 19th century. As ships grew in size, a canal was built to bypass Murolekoski, the obstacle on the waterway, on the proposal of Tampere businessmen. Construction of the canal began in spring 1850, and the lock canal was opened to traffic in May 1854.

After steamship traffic began in the northern parts of Näsijärvi, north of the Murole canal, shallow rapids were cleared to make a shipping channel. At Kautu rapids in Ruovesi, clearing work was carried out in 1863-1864. In 1881 it was decided to bypass the rapids with a canal, because the channel had become cramped as shipping increased. The open Kautu canal was cut in 1884-1885. Because the differences in height were small, no lock was needed in the canal.

After the completion of the shipping channel between Tampere and Virrat, the cutting of the Herraskoski canal, approved at Virrat in 1863-1864, was awaited. The Senate granted funding for building the canal only in 1902, and work began in 1903. The canal was completed at the end of 1907. At the same time, in 1903-1904, the open Kautu canal was widened. The Herraskoski canal was spared from widening, but automatic lock gates were later added to it. The new Kautu canal bridge was built in the 1980s.

Rapids were already important for traffic before deep shipping channels were opened. During the First World War, fortification structures were built at Murolekoski and Herraskoski, in the areas around the canals.