What was the significance of the Bridgewater Canal?
Opened on 17th July 1761, the Bridgewater Canal has a special place in history as the first canal in Britain to be built without following an existing watercourse, and so became a model for those that followed it.
How does the Barton Aqueduct work?
The aqueduct is a form of swing bridge. When closed, it allows canal traffic to pass along the Bridgewater Canal. The structure is adjacent to, and upstream of, the Barton Road Swing Bridge. Both bridges are operated from a brick control tower on an island in the centre of the ship canal.
How did the Bridgewater Canal impact society?
The Bridgewater was a main artery to the heart of the Industrial Revolution, allowing the region to be highly competitive and inspiring the rest of the world to adopt new ways of working. The canal also provided cheaper and more reliable transport for goods and raw materials.
When was the Bridgewater Canal replaced by the Barton Swing Aqueduct?
A remarkable structure, the aqueduct carried the canal over the Irwell at a height of 13 metres and remained in full working order until the introduction of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1893, when it was replaced by the Barton Swing Aqueduct to allow for the passage of larger vessels.
Where is the Barton Swing Aqueduct in Manchester?
Barton Swing Aqueduct looking east from the road swing bridge. Four miles west of Manchester, between Stretford and Worsley, is one of the wonders of the waterway world – the Barton Swing Aqueduct, carrying the Bridgewater Canal across the Manchester Ship Canal.
Why was the Bridgewater Canal demolished in 1894?
It was demolished in 1894 to make way for the Manchester Ship Canal and replaced by Barton Swing Aqueduct, though the north abutment of the old structure remains. Some large embankments were required to carry the canal across valleys, and the biggest is the one flanking the single arch aqueduct over the River Mersey at Stretford.
How is the aqueduct connected to the ship canal?
The aqueduct is a form of swing bridge. When closed, it allows canal traffic to pass along the Bridgewater Canal. When large vessels need to pass along the ship canal underneath, the 1,450-tonne (1,430-long-ton; 1,600-short-ton) and 330-foot (100 m) long iron trough is rotated 90 degrees on a pivot mounted on a small purpose-built island.