Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain/Bridgewater's Canal
BRIDGEWATER'S (THE DUKE OF) CANAL.
- 10 Geo.II C. 22, R. A. 22nd Apr. 1737.
- 32 Geo. II C. 2, R. A. 23rd Mar. 1759.
- 33 Geo. II. C. 2, R. A. 24th Mar.1760.
- 2 Geo. III. C. 11, R. A. 24th Mar. 1762.
- 6 Geo. III. C. 17, R. A. 18th Mar. 1766.
- 35 Geo. III. C.44, R. A. 28th Apr. 1795.
THE 32nd George II. is the first act of parliament, under power of which the execution of this navigation was commenced, and it is entitled, 'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to make a navigable Cut or Canal from a certain place in the township of Salford, to or near Worsley Mill, and Middlewood, in the manor of Worsley, and to or near a place called Hollin Ferry, in the county palatine of Lancaster.' In this act it is recited, that certain persons had obtained an act in the 10th George II. entitled, 'An Act for making navigable the River or Brook called Worsley Brook, from Worsley Mill, in the township of Worsley, in the county palatine of Lancaster, to the River Irwell, in the said county,' but that they had hitherto neglected to carry any of the powers of this act into execution. This, then, was the first step taken towards making this very early and useful navigation; but the degree of supineness exhibited by the original undertakers, in having so long neglected the execution of a work which has been and is yet the source of immense wealth to its noble owner, is most strikingly contrasted by the enterprising spirit and astonishing perseverance of the Duke of Bridgewater, who, unassisted, except by the natural genius of Brindley, carried into execution a series of difficult and expensive works, which are, even at this time, unexampled.
The primary object of "The Father of British Inland Navigation," as the Duke of Bridgewater has been justly styled, was to open his valuable collieries at Worsley, and to supply the town of Manchester with coal, at a much cheaper rate than could be done by the imperfect navigation of the Mersey and Irwell. The works were commenced immediately on the royal assent being given to the act, under the powers of which, a considerable portion of that part of the canal, between Worsley Mill and Manchester, was executed; but the proposed line from Worsley to Hollin Ferry, on the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, was abandoned. In the year subsequent to the obtaining of the first act, the Duke again applied to parliament and obtained a second, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to make a navigable Cut or Canal from or near Worsley Mill, over the River Irwell, to the town of Manchester, in the county palatine of Lancaster, and to or near Longford Bridge, in the township of Stretford, in the said county.'
Under this act the whole of the canal from Worsley to Manchester, together with the extensive subterranean works, at his coal mines, in Worsley, were executed. The aqueduct over the Mersey and Irwell Navigation at Barton, was opened on the 17th July, 1761, and shortly afterwards the line of canal to Manchester. The underground canals and tunnels at Worsley are said to be eighteen miles in length, and to have cost £168,960. From Worsley, a branch of one mile and a half in length extends to Chat Moss, across which, the line to Hollin Ferry, near Glazebrook, was intended to pass.
In 1762 this spirited and patriotic nobleman applied to parliament, and obtained the necessary powers to enable him to extend his navigation, so as to open a better navigable communication with LiverpooL This act is entitled, 'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to make a navigable Cut or Canal from Longford Bridge, in the township of Stretford, in the county palatine of Lancaster, to the River Mersey, at a place called the Hempstones, in the township of Halton, in the county of Chester.' It is here recited that the canal from the Duke's coal mines to Longford Bridge, whence the proposed extension was to proceed, together with a considerable portion of the remainder of the line to Manchester, was finished.
The original line to Hempstones takes a south-westerly course from Longford Bridge, crossing the Mersey by an aqueduct; by the town of Altringham, and Dunham Massey, (the seat of the Earl of Stamford and Warrington) near which place it passes over the River Bollin by an aqueduct, thence by Lymm, Groppenhall, crossing the London Road two miles south of Warrington, to the River Mersey, at Hempstones; but before the latter portion could be executed, an act of the 6th George III. was obtained by a company, to enable them to make a canal to connect the Rivers Trent and Mersey, which is entitled, 'An Act for making a navigable Cut or Canal from the River Trent, at or near Wilden Ferry, in the county of Derby, to the River Mersey, at or near Runcorn Gap.' This act contains a clause, whereby the Duke of Bridgewater engages to form a junction with the above line of the Trent and Mersey Canal at Preston Brook, instead of opening into the Mersey at Hempstones, which is nearly one mile and a half higher up the river than the place where the Trent and Mersey Canal proposed to enter it; also to execute that part of the line of the Trent and Mersey Canal, from the junction above-mentioned, at Preston Brook, to its termination at Runcorn; for which the Duke should receive the following rates upon that part of the Trent and Mersey Line of Canal, which, commencing from Preston Brook, takes a circuitous route through the beautiful grounds of Norton Priory, the seat of Sir R. Brooke, Bart. and thence by Lower Runcorn to the Mersey. On the 31st of December, 1772, the ten locks at Runcorn were opened, and the whole of the canal and other works were completed to Manchester, on the 21st of March, 1776.
TONNAGE RATES. edit
| For all Coal, Stone, Timber, and other Goods, Wares, Merchandize and Commodities | 1d per Ton, per Mile. |
And so in proportion for any greater or less Distance than a Mile, or less Weight than a Ton; but if any Boat shall pass the whole of the Locks, to be erected at Runcorn, then the same Tonnage to be paid as if the Vessel had passed along the whole Distance between Runcorn and Preston Brook. Also, the Duke has power to charge, upon this part of the Navigation, such additional Tonnage to the Penny Rate above-mentioned, so that the total Amount does not exceed the Rate which the Duke is empowered to collect upon the other parts of his Navigation.
On the 18th of March, 1766, the royal assent was given to an act, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to extend a Branch of his Navigation, Cut, or Canal, upon Sale Moor, in the county of Chester, to the Market Town of Stockport, in the said county,' but no portion of this proposed canal was ever executed. It was in length seven miles and a half, with a rise of 68 feet. By another act obtained in the 35th George III. entitled, 'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to make a navigable Cut from his present Navigation, in the township of Worsley, in the county palatine of Lancaster, to the township of Pennington, near the town of Leigh, in the said county,' the Duke of Bridgewater was enabled to extend his navigation to the town of Leigh, to which place the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company have subsequently extended a branch of their navigation, so that now another navigable communication is made through the heart of Lancashire, connecting the towns of Wigan, Chorley, Blackburn, Preston, and those two lmportant places, Liverpool and Manchester.
The length of the Duke's Canal from Castle Field, in Manchester, to near Longford Bridge, where the main line leaves the Worsley Branch, is three miles and a quarter; and from the last-mentioned place to Preston Brook, where it joins the Trent and Mersey, is eighteen miles and a half; and from thence to Runcorn, is five miles and a quarter, all on the same level, at which place it has a fall into the tideway of the Mersey, at low water, of 82½ feet, by ten locks. The branch to Worsley is five miles, and from thence to Leigh is six miles, and are both upon the same level with the main line.
TONNAGE RATES. edit
| For all Coal, Stone, Timber, and other Goods, Wares, Merchandise, and Commodities whatsoever, passing on any part of, or on all his Navigations, (with the exception of that part between Ruocorn and Preston Brook) | 2s 6d per Ton. |
| For passing by the New Locks and Basin at Runcorn | 0s 8d ditto, in addition. |
| For every description of Articles (except Paving-stones) passing to or from the Rochdale Canal, into or out of the Duke's Canal, at Manchester | 1s 2d per Ton. |
| Paving-stones | 0s 4d ditto |
All kinds of Manure, and Stones for repairing the Roads, are exempt from the Payment of Toll.
For the purpose of continuing this justly celebrated canal on one level from Manchester to Runcorn, and from Longford Bridge, by Worsley, to Leigh, great embankments became necessary, in consequence of the numerous vallies which intercept its course; amongst them is one over Stretford Meadows, nine hundred yards in length, 17 feet high, and 112 feet at the base; that made at Barton Aqueduct, where it is 39 feet above the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, is two hundred yards in length. There is also a stupendous embankment between Dunham Massey and Oughtrington Hall. The whole of these canals and branches, with the exception of the cut to Leigh, were executed in five years, under the direction of Mr. Brindley, and at an expense to his noble patron of upwards of £220,000; but, as it all issued from his private purse, the public have no means of arriving at the exact amount, nor have they much better means of ascertaining the annual income, though it was estimated, some years ago, at £130,000.
This valuable concern is now the property of the Most Noble the Marquis of Stafford, and it is said to have increased his annual income to the enormous amount of £260,000.
These navigations, although made at the private expense of the Noble Duke, and valuable as they have proved to his successors, are of much greater importance to the town of Manchester and the surrounding country, from the facilities they have afforded for the transit of merchandize, and in reducing the price of minerals, which, before the execution of these works, could only be obtained at nearly double their present value.