Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain/Ashton-under-Lyne Canal

by Joseph Priestley

ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE CANAL.

32 Geo. III. C. 84, R. A. 11th June, 1792.
33 Geo. III. C. 21, R. A. 28th March, 1793.
38 Geo. III. C. 32, R. A. 26th May, 1798.
40 Geo. Ill. C. 24, R. A. 16th May, 1800.
45 Geo. III. C. 11, R. A. 18th March, 1805.

THE first act for making this canal, authorized the subscribers, who were incorporated under the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Canal Navigation, from Manchester to or near Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham," to make a canal from Manchester to Fairfield, with a branch to the town of Ashton-under-Lyne, and another branch from Fairfield, to a place called New Mill, near the town of Oldharn. This act was entitled, 'An Act for making a navigable Canal, from Manchester, to or near Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, in the county Palatine of Lancaster,' and under it the company were empowered to raise £60,000, in six hundred shares of £100 each, with further power to raise £30,000 among themselves, should the former sum be insufficient; or they may raise the same by mortgage of the tolls and duties.

In the following year the company applied again to parliament, and obtained an act, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Canal Navigation from Manchester, to or near Ashton-under-Lyne, and Oldham, to extend the said Canal from a place called Clayton Demesne, in the township of Droylsden, in the parish of Manchester aforesaid, to a place on the Turnpike-Road in Heaton Norris, leading between Manchester and Stockport, opposite to the House known by the Sign of the Three Boars' Heads, and from, or nearly from, a place called Taylor's Barn, in the township of Reddish, to Denton, at a place called Beat Bank, adjoining the Turnpike-Road leading between Stockport and Ashton-under-Lyne; and also from the intended Aqueduct Bridge, at or near a place called Waterhouses, in the parish of Ashton-under-Lyne aforesaid, to a place called Stoke Leach, at Hollinwood, in the township of Oldham aforesaid;' under this act, they were authorized, in addition to the main line and branches above-mentioned, to make a branch from Clayton to near the town of Stockport; another branch from the last-mentioned branch, to the River Tame, near Beat Bank: and one other branch from the aqueduct over the Medlock near Waterhouses, to Hollinwood. Of those intended works, the branch to Beat Bank alone remains unexecuted. By this act, the company were authorized to raise an additional sum of £30,000, in shares, among themselves. After having executed a considerable portion of the works, which they were authorized to do, under the two preceding acts, and having expended the several sums of money which they were empowered to raise, the proprietors found it necessary again to apply to parliament for further powers, when they obtained a third act, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Canal Navigation from Manchester, to or near Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, to finish and complete the same, and the several Cuts and other Works authorized to be made and done by them, by the several Acts passed for that Purpose, and for amending the said Acts, and granting to the said Company further and other Powers.' By this act they were empowered to raise a further sum of £30,000, by mortgage of the canal and tolls, or on promissory notes under the common seal of the company, to be repaid in five years, or in default, the holders of the notes were to have the option of becoming shareholders to the same amount.

This canal commences on the eastern side of the town of Manchester, at the end of Dale Street, and near to Piccadilly: thence passing through the suburbs, it crosses the River Medlock; thence to near Clayton, where the Stockport Branch commences. From Clayton the canal proceeds to the village of Fairfield, where the main line terminates, as described in the act, at a distance from Manchester of three miles and three quarters, and with a rise of 162 feet 6 inches, by eighteen locks. From Fairfield there is a branch to the Huddersfield Canal, at the Duckenfield Aqueduct, near the town of Ashton-under-Lyne. This branch is a little more than two miles and a half, and is level throughout. There is, also, a branch to Waterhouses, from Fairfield, where the canal again crosses the Medlock, by an aqueduct, after it has passed through a tunnel of considerable extent. This branch is in length two miles and a half, and is upon the same level as the Ashton Branch. From the aqueduct the branch is continued to Hollinwood, and from thence by the Werneth Colliery Company, to their extensive works near to Oldham. The length from the aqueduct, at Waterhouses, to Hollinwood, is rather more than one mile and three quarters; and the extension to the collieries is one mile. The branch from the aqueduct rises 83 feet, by means of eight locks. From the Hollinwood Branch, one-eighth of a mile from the aqueduct, is a collateral cut to Fairbottom Colliery, of little more than a mile in length, and level. The branch from Clayton leaves the main line between the tenth and eleventh lock from its commencement, and passing by Gaston and Reddish, terminates at Lancashire Hill, on the high-road from Manchester to Stockport, and but half a mile from the latter place.

In the town and suburbs of Manchester, several collateral cuts and basins, have been made from this canal to the various wharfs, quays, and manufactories; thus affording increased facilities to the trade of this populous and important town and neighbourhood; amongst which, we may enumerate one, a quarter of a mile in length, which proceeds from the west side of Great Ancoats Street, across Mill Street, to Kirby Street, and from which three collateral cuts proceed. A short distance further, on the line of canal, there is another cut, nearly a quarter of a mile in length, which crosses Pollard Street, to the back of the large factories which front into Great Ancoats Street. These short cuts are all on one level.

The canal and branches are made 31 feet wide at top and 15 at the bottom, and in depth 5 feet. The locks are 70 feet long and 7 feet wide.

TONNAGE RATES ALLOWED BY THE FIRST ACT.

	d.
For Lime, Limestone, Dung, Manure, Clay, Sand and Gravel	½	per Ton, per Mile.
Coals, Cannel Coal, Stone, and other Minerals, not passing through Locks	1	ditto. ditto.
On the same, passing through Locks	2½	ditto. ditto.
On Timber, and other Goods, not passing through Locks	1	ditto. ditto.
On the same passing through Locks	1½	ditto, ditto.

By the act of the 38th George III. cap. 32, the proprietors are allowed the following

RATES OF WHARFAGE.

	d.
For Coal, Lime, Limestone, Clay, Iron, Iron-stone, Timber, Stone, Brick, Tile, Slate, Flag, Sand and Gravel	1	per Ton.
On all other Goods	3	ditto.
If such Goods remain more than Three Days	½	ditto.
If more than Ten Days	1	ditto.

By the act, entitled, 'An Act for amending the several Acts passed for making, extending,finishing, and completing the Canal Navigation from Manchester, to or near Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, and the several Cuts and other Works authorized to be made and done by the Company of Proprietors of the said Canal Navigation, and for granting to the said Company further and other Powers,' the proprietors are allowed the following

ADDITIONAL RATES.

	d.
For every Boat, passing a Lock, laden with Lime or Limestone	2
For Wharfage of such Goods as shall not have paid the Company Two-pence, per Ton, Tonnage	1

In the preamble of the last act, relating to this navigation, entitled, 'An Act for enabling the Company of Proprietors of the Canal Navigation from Manchester, to or near Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham, more effectually to provide for the discharge of their Debts, and to complete the said Canal, and the Cuts and Works relating thereto,' it is stated that the company have raised the several sums of £60,000, and £30,000, which they were empowered to do under the act of 32nd George III.; also the further sum of £30,000, granted under the act of 33rd George III.; also the sum of £29,977, 17s. in part of the sum of £30,000, which they were empowered to raise, under the act of 38th George III.; also the further sum of £8,677, in part of the further sum of £20,000, granted under the powers of the act of 40th George III. It is further stated, that the company have expended all the monies they have been enabled to raise, amounting to £158,654, 17s. and that they have contracted debts to a large amount. By this act, they are, therefore, empowered to raise a further sum of £40,000, over and above the several sums already granted, amounting to £170,000, to enable them to discharge such debts and complete their works. The last-mentioned sum of £40,000 to be raised by creating new and additional shares, or by calls, on original shareholders, of sums not exceeding £10 per share at each call.

This canal connects the towns of Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne; and by the Huddersfield Canal, it has communication with that town, Saddleworth, and the populous clothing districts in that part of Yorkshire, and is a portion of one of the lines of inland navigation, which connects the Irish Sea with the German Ocean; on the one hand through the Huddersfield and Sir John Ramsden's Canals, the Calder and Hebble and Aire and Calder Navigations, to the port of Goole, and froln thence by the Rivers Ouse and Humber to the port of Kingston-upon Hull; and on the other hand, by entering the Rochdale Canal, near its junction with the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, and by that navigation to Runcorn, and from thence, by the River Mersey, to Liverpool.

The town of Manchester derives considerable advantage by the facility with which this canal and branches supply it with stone and coal at an easy rate; an immense quantity of the latter article, in addition to what is required for ordinary purposes, being in daily requisition for innumerable steam engines in use in the various manufactories.