Bridgewater Canal

The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was started by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to carry coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester. It was opened in 1761 from Worsley to Manchester. Later it went from Manchester to Runcorn, and then from Worsley to Leigh. It is connected to the Manchester Ship Canal by a lock at Cornbrook; to the Rochdale Canal in Manchester; to the Trent and Mersey Canal at Preston Brook, southeast of Runcorn; and to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Leigh.

The Sankey Canal was built first, but the Bridgewater Canal became more famous and set a lot more canals going. It has an aqueduct to cross the River Irwell, and a tunnel at Worsley.

Bridgewater Canal Media

• BrownManchesterMuralBridgewater.jpg

  The Opening of the Bridgewater Canal A.D. 1761 by Ford Madox Brown, one of The Manchester Murals at Manchester Town Hall

• Bridgewater Canal at Barton 1891.jpg

  Brindley's aqueduct, replaced late in the 19th century

• Bridgewater foundary.gif

  Bridgewater Foundry at Patricroft, 1839

• Borrow's Bridge 69 - geograph.org.uk - 2427824.jpg

  Borrow's Bridge across the Runcorn extension of the Bridgewater Canal

• Stretford.jpg

  Ordnance Survey map of 1843 showing the canal crossing the River Mersey at Barfoot Bridge, Stretford

• Runcorn soapworks.jpg

  The canal at Runcorn between the factories

• OS One-inch Sheet 100 Extract Runcorn Bridgewater Canal 1966.jpg

  Extract from OS one-inch sheet 100 showing the junction between the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal at Runcorn, with the flight of locks, as it was in 1966

• Map of Manchester 1801.PNG

  A map from 1801 showing the Bridgewater and Rochdale canals yet to be connected

• Packet House Worsley.jpg

  The Packet House at Worsley, in 1866

• Bridgewater letter 1837.jpg

  Letter to the Bridgewater Canal offices concerning wives sleeping on boats, dated 11 November 1837