Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

Bridgewater Canal

Description: Runs from the junction with the Rochdale Canal in Manchester to Runcorn. The Stretford and Leigh Branch runs ten and three-quarter miles to the junction with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

History: Authorised under Acts of 1737, 1759, 1760, 1762, 1766 and 1795. The "first canal of the canal age" was promoted by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, and built under the direction of John Gilbert. James Bindley worked under Gilbert's direction
For more details see the History page.

Subordinate Waterways:

• Hulme Lock Branch (Bridgewater Canal)
• Preston Brook Branch (Bridgewater Canal)
• Stretford and Leigh Branch (Bridgewater Canal)

Navigation Authority: : Bridgewater Canal, The Bridgewater Canal Company Limited , Peel Dome , The Trafford Centre, Manchester , M17 8PL. : Telephone 0161 629 8334 : Email bridgewaterway@peel.co.uk :

Website: http://www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/

Lymm Bridge on the Bridgewater Canal

Related Articles

• The Cheshire Ring

Related Books

• The Canal Duke by Hugh Malet, Edition: 1st edition, 200 pages, Published by David & Charles, in 1961, 15 plates. "A biography of Francis, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater." Published with Phoenix House..
• The Canals of North West England (1) by Charles Hadfield and Gordon Biddle, ISBN: 07153 49562, 236 pages, Published by David & Charles, Volume 1. . Order now from .
• The Canals of North West England (2) by Charles Hadfield and Gordon Biddle, ISBN: 07153 49929, 260 pages, Published by David & Charles, Volume 2.. Order now from .
• The Bridgewater Canal Bi-centenary Handbook by Not known, Edition: 1st edition, 224 pages, Published by Pyramid Press, in 1961, Commercial and historical information issued to comemerate the canal's 200th year..
• A Home Tour Through the Manufacturing Districts of England, in the Summer of 1835 by G Head, Edition: 1st edition, 445 pages, Published by John Murray, in 1836, Many journeys by canal and river are described, including the Bridgewater, Carlise and Annan, Halifax, Knottingley, Lancaster, Leeds & Liverpool and Trent & Mersey. Several new railways are also described as part of this industrial tour..
• Bridgewater - The Canal Duke - 1736-1803 by Hugh Malet, Published by Manchester University Press, in 1978,
• The Bridgewater Canal by Ron & Marlene Freethy, ISBN: 1 85926 070 5, 92 pages, Published by Aurora Eterprises Ltd, History and guide to the canal and to the area through which it passes.. Order now from .
• Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 5 by Not known, ISBN: 978-0-00-728165-7, 190 pages, Published by Nicholson, in 2009, North West & the Pennines. Includes the Aire & Calder (leeds to Wakefield), Bridgewater, Calder & Hebble, Huddersfield Broad, Lancaster, Leeds & Liverpool, Macclesfield, Peak Forest, Ashton and Rochdale canals plus the Trent & Mersey north of Hardings Wood Junction.. Order now from .
• Pearson's Canal Companion: Cheshire Ring by Michael Pearson, Edition: Eighth, ISBN: 978 0 9 5491160 7, 80 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son, Includes the River Weaver, Rochdale Canal and the route to Preston via the Leeds & Liverpool - Rufford Branch,. Order now from .
• The Duke's Cut - The Bridgewater Canal by Cyril J Wood, ISBN: 0 7524 237 1 1, 128 pages, Published by Tempus, in 2002, The history of the canal with photographs and maps.. Order now from .

Related photographs

• Bridgewater Canal: Lymm Bridge No 23
• Bridgewater Canal: Castlefield Junction
• Bridgewater Canal: Castlefield Junction
• Bridgewater Canal: Norton Railway Aqueduct Saturn at the IWA National Waterways Festival

Related External Web Sites

• Thorn Marine Boat Hire and boating services on the Bridgewater Canal.
• Preston Brook Marina Boat sales and mooring enquiries.
• Claymoore Navigation Hire boats based at Preston Brook in Cheshire, where the Bridewater Canal meets the Trent & Mersey.
• Narrow Boat to the Cheshire Ring A book about canal cruising and campaiganing in the 1960s.
• Northern Marine Services Narrowboat builder based in Lymm, Cheshire.
• Sale Cruising Club Cheshire cruising club with moorings on the Bridgewater Canal
• Lymm Cruising Club Situated on the Bridgewater canal near the centre of the village of Lymm, in Cheshire.
• Runcorn Locks Restoration Society The Society plans to restore the line of 10 locks from the Bridgewater Canal to the River Mersey.
• Watch House Cruising Club A boat club based at Stretford on the Bridgewater Canal.
• Pennine Waterways Peak Forest, Ashton, Rochdale, Leeds & Liverpool, Huddersfield and other canals in the area.
• Lymm Marina Boat Sales Located in Lymm in Cheshire on the Banks of the Bridgewater Canal
• City Centre Cruises The L.S. Lowry provides restaurant and hospitality facilities on a wide-beamed boat operating from Manchester city centre.
• Bridgewater Motor Boat Club Formed in November 1951, the club is the oldest on the Bridgewater and is probably one of the oldest in the country.
• Bridgewater Canal The navigation authority of the Bridgewater Canal.

Related Cruising Logs

• 22nd July 1994
• 7th August 1995
• 4th September 1995
• 24th April 1996
• 20th May 2000
• 7th May 2001
• 3rd August 2002
• 18th May 2003
• 21st June 2003
• 17th July 2004
• 25th August 2005

Other Related Pages

• Cruising Times
• Introducing Route Planning

Bridgewater Canal: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Castlefield Junction	Junction with Rochdale Canal Rochdale Canal Main Line junction		0	0	N	SJ830974	109
Hulme Locks Branch Junction	Manchester, Egerton Street Bridge		0.3	0	N	SJ826973	109
Cornbrook Bridge No 95	Junction with Manchester Ship Canal Manchester Docks		1	0	N	SJ822970	109
Trafford Road Bridge No 94			1.5	0	N	SJ812963	109
Warwick Road Bridge No 93			1.8	0	N	SJ808964	109
Stretford - Waters Meeting	Junction with Stretford and Leigh Branch (Bridgewater Canal) Stretford and Leigh Branch junction		2.8	0	N	SJ795955	109
Longford Bridge No 39			3.3	0	N	SJ800950	109
Edge Lane Bridge No 38			3.8	0	N	SJ797943	109
Hawthorn Lane Aqueduct			4.1	0	N	SJ796937	109
Mersey Aqueduct, Barfoot			4.4	0	N	SJ795933	109
M63 Motorway Bridge			4.5	0	N	SJ794931	109
Dane Road Bridge No 36	Dr White's Bridge and Bridge Inn		4.8	0	N	SJ793926	109
Sale Wharf			5.1	0	N	SJ789921	109
Sale Bridge No 35			5.3	0	N	SJ788920	109
Marsland Bridge No 34			5.9	0	N	SJ784912	109
Timperley Bridge No 33			6.9	0	N	SJ775897	109
Railway Bridge No 32	Stockport Line		7.1	0	N	SJ772894	109
Broadheath Bridge No 30	A56 road bridge		7.6	0	N	SJ766891	109
Seamon's Moss Bridge No 29	Bay Malton Pub		8.5	0	N	SJ752886	109
Dunham School Bridge No 28			9.4	0	N	SJ739882	109
Dunham Town Bridge No 27			9.8	0	N	SJ735879	109
River Bollin Aqueduct	Dunham Underbridge		10.3	0	N	SJ730877	109
Bollington Underbridge			10.6	0	N	SJ727870	109
Agden Bridge No 26			11.4	0	N	SJ715866	109
Burford Lane Underbridge			12.3	0	N	SJ703873	109
Grantham's Bridge No 25			12.4	0	N	SJ701874	109
Oughtringham Bridge No 24			12.8	0	N	SJ697874	109
Lymm Bridge No 23			13.6	0	N	SJ683873	109
Whitbororgh Aqueduct			13.8	0	N	SJ682873	109
Barsbank Aqueduct			14.3	0	N	SJ673873	109
Ditchfield Bridge No 21	A56 road bridge		14.6	0	N	SJ669871	109
M6 Motorway Bridge No 20			15	0	N	SJ664869	109
Thelwall Underbridge			15.5	0	N	SJ654870	109
Pickering's Bridge No 19			15.8	0	N	SJ651869	109
Cliff Lane Underbridge	Knutsford Road Bridge No 18, A50 road bridge		16.3	0	N	SJ645864	109
Grappenhall Bridge No 17			16.6	0	N	SJ640862	109
Stanny Lunt Bridge No 16			17	0	N	SJ635863	109
Lumb Brook Underbridge	Stockton Heath		18	0	N	SJ622861	109
Stockton Quay Bridge No 15	Wharf and Warehouse		18.5	0	N	SJ615857	109
Red Lane Bridge No 14			18.9	0	N	SJ609855	109
Hough's Bridge No 13	Lower Walton		19.4	0	N	SJ603851	109
Walton Lea Bridge No 12			19.6	0	N	SJ600851	109
Walton Bridge No 11			19.9	0	N	SJ596849	108
Chester Road Bridge No 10	A56 road bridge, underbridge and wharf		20.1	0	N	SJ594848	108
Acton Grange Bridge No 8			20.5	0	N	SJ587847	108
Moore Bridge No 7			21	0	N	SJ580843	108
Moorfield Bridge No 6			21.5	0	N	SJ576837	108
Keckwick Bridge No 5	A558 road bridge just north of this point		21.8	0	N	SJ574833	108
Keckwick Hill Bridge No 4			22.3	0	N	SJ572826	108
Red Brow Underbridge			23	0	N	SJ567816	108
Preston Brook - Waters Meeting	Junction with Preston Brook Branch (Bridgewater Canal) Preston Brook Branch junction		23.4	0	N	SJ566809	108
Norton Railway Aqueduct	Preston Brook Marina		23.5	0	N	SJ566810	108
Crawley's Bridge No 68			23.8	0	N	SJ561813	108
Railway Bridge No 70			24	0	N	SJ560818	108
Norton Town Bridge No 71			24.3	0	N	SJ558821	108
Norton Bridge No 72			24.6	0	N	SJ558825	108
New Norton Bridge No 73	Old Norton Bridge No 74		25	0	N	SJ555829	108
Green's Bridge No 75			25.5	0	N	SJ544828	108
Astmoor Bridge No 77			26.1	0	N	SJ542829	108
Bate's Bridge No 81			26.8	0	N	SJ529829	108
Bridge No 82			27	0	N	SJ523828	108
A533 Road Bridge No 83			27.3	0	N	SJ520829	108
Delph Bridge No 84			27.4	0	N	SJ518829	108
Waterloo Bridge	Runcorn flight of 10 locks joining the Manchester Ship Canal now closed.		27.9	0	U	SJ509829	108

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.