The first of two visits to the village of Worsley, Salford (Greater Manchester).
On this first visit it was raining, but I managed to dodge the worst of it.
The Bridgewater Canal is arguably the first inland waterway to be cut from scratch. Others had been created by linking and improving existing natural waterways. Some have argued that the Sankey Canal (St Helens to the Mersey) holds the title of first place because it was opened in 1757 as opposed to 1761 in the case of the Bridgewater Canal. However, when Parliamentary approval was sought it was presented as an Act for “making navigable the river or brook called Sankey Brook.” It seems likely that this might have been a ploy to avoid the potential controversy at the time of a radical, new cut. Although there were some existing brooks near the route of the Bridgewater Canal, it was cut from scratch directly from within* the mine at Worsley to Manchester. It ran on one level all the way into central Manchester and crossed the River Irwell on an aqueduct. When the Irwell itself became canalised in the creation of the Manchester Ship Canal this aqueduct was replaced by the Barton Swing Aqueduct. This is still in use.
*There are 46 miles of canal underground within the mine on 4 levels linked by inclined planes. Coal production ceased in 1887.
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| Private boathouse |
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| Mine entrance |
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| Barton Road |
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