bridgewater canal history

not following an existing river or water course), and it was constructed in the late 18th century. An engineering masterpiece of the 18th century, the Bridgewater Canal was executed by James Brindley, a brilliant, self-taught mechanic and engineer in the service of the Duke of Bridgewater. Pleasure craft use the canal which forms part of the Cheshire Ring network of canals. Built to transport the Duke of Bridgewater's coal from his mine at Worsley, it has a special place in history as the first canal that cut across country rather than following an existing river course. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Which strait separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point? ↑ Bridgewater Canal History, 1872 - Change and Consolidation, The Manchester Ship Canal Company, archived from the original on 21 November 2008, retrieved 2 September 2008 ↑ "The Manchester Ship Canal (Bridgewater Canal) Act 1907 (Amendment) Order 1996". This would not only provide a solution to the transportation issues, it would also provide drainage, thus alleviating the regular flooding in the mines (caused by the layer of porous sandstone which sat above the coal seam); provide a permanent source of water for the surface canal and perhaps most importantly, meant it was no longer necessary to bring the coal to the surface, which had always been a tricky and costly undertaking. The Bridgewater canal is the first in Britain to run its entire length independently of any river. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester. Arguably the first truly man made canal, the Bridgewater Canal was the first canal in Britain which did not follow the path of an existing river or tributary when it opened on 17th July 1761. Neither option was particularly efficient or cost effective. The plan is located at the Brindley Museum in leek. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bridgewater-Canal, The Official Site of the Bridgewater Canal. In 1776 the canal was extended from Manchester to Liverpool, an additional 30 miles (48 km). A £5.5 million facelift for Salford’s Bridgewater Canal has been completed uncovering hidden history at Worsley Delph. The investment in this private canal rapidly pays off. The Delph, formerly a quarry, was the birthplace of the Bridgewater Canal which was a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. The Duke’s Bill had originally proposed that the canal would take two separate routes from Worlsey, one to Salford via Patricroft and the other past Warrington to join the River Mersey at Hollins Ferry. However, a combination of problematic peat deposits and the input of the newly instated James Brindley as a consulting engineer led the Duke to abandon the route to Hollins Ferry. This is a place of global importance, inspired by the vision of three men and the toil of hundreds of nameless heroes. Archival black and white photograph of the Barton Swing Aqueduct, carrying the old Bridgewater Canal across the Ship Canal, from the book: 'A Survey of the History, Commerce and Manufactures of Lancashire' by Reuben Spencer, published 1897. However, as a result of the canal the price of coal in Manchester had fallen fifty per cent by 1762. Facts about Bridgewater Canal 4: the competition The Bridgewater Canal was commissioned by Francis Egerton, the third Duke of Bridgewater.It was his intention to use the canal to transport the coal from his mines at Worsley to the heart of industrial Manchester. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. More notably perhaps, the canal’s impact on the price of coal sparked a raft of imitators in a period of frenetic canal building between the 1790s and 1810s which would become known as ‘canal mania’. The Bridgewater Canal from Preston Brook Cheshire to Manchester. The duke wanted a canal to facilitate transporting coal from his mines at Worsley to Manchester, a distance of 10 miles (16 km), and envisaged a conventional canal with a number of locks. The Packet House in Worsley, a Grade II listed building, dates from the eighteenth century. Article ( requires login ) Leigh branch in 1818, the connection made... Duke 's coal is halved in the new year with a Britannica Membership Canal changed... And cut the cost of coal in Manchester had fallen fifty per cent by 1762 to follow citation style,. Britain 's landscape of cookies © Historic UK Ltd. Company Registered in.... Is known as a 'contour canal'because it maintains the same elevation along its.... 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