The Manchester and Salford Junction Canal was a canal in the city of Manchester. It was originally built to provide a direct waterway between the Mersey and Irwell Navigation and the Rochdale Canal. The canal opened in 1839 and was abandoned in 1922.
Manchester and Salford Junction Canal
The canal stub viewed north towards the junction with the River Irwell
The lack of any direct canal link between the Mersey and Irwell Navigation and the Rochdale Canal meant that goods being transported using both waterways had to be offloaded onto carts and carried across the city, before being loaded back onto boats to continue their journey. This was costly and time-consuming, as well as adding to traffic congestion on the streets of Manchester.
In 1799, the nearby Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal company proposed to connect their canal[1] to the Rochdale canal with an aqueduct across the Mersey and Irwell Navigation. Due mainly to strong objections from the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, who would have suffered a loss of trade, the link was not forthcoming.[2] In 1805, John Nightingale was asked by the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company to estimate the cost of a canal link between Manchester and Salford.
Nothing would happen until 1836, when John Gilbert was appointed as engineer. In 1838, just as the canal was being built, the Bridgewater Canal Company were completing their Hulme Locks Branch Canal. This provided an alternative route from the Rochdale Canal to the River Irwell, and cargoes from either direction could navigate onto the Irwell without the need to use the new Junction Canal.
An underground section of the canal
Construction of the new canal was funded in part by the proprietors of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal.[3] The canal was opened in 1839. In 1885, the Great Northern Warehouse was built on top of the line of the canal and a dock was constructed to allow the interchange of goods. There were four large bays below the warehouse with two lift shafts to allow goods to be unloaded from the boats using the canal, and raised up to the warehouse for storage.
The canal was constructed just as railways were becoming popular. In later years, both the Bridgewater and Rochdale canals came to be owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, removing the competitive incentive for keeping both canals open and the Junction Canal was abandoned in 1922. During the Second World War, sections of the canal were drained and converted for use as air-raid shelters.
Routeedit
The canal ran for 5 furlongs (1 km) between the River Irwell from southwest of Quay Street, to a branch of the Rochdale Canal southeast of Lower Mosley Street, mostly through a 499-yard (456 m) tunnel. The canal is now dry, and disused, although large parts remain underneath the city, particularly sections underneath the Great Northern Warehouse and Granada Studios. The original western entrance is still visible from the River Irwell; the eastern entrance has been redeveloped into a small canal basin behind the Bridgewater Hall.
The canal used four locks and lifted water from the River Irwell with two pumping stations. locks 2 were paired Locks. Locks 3 & 4 were paired staircase locks
^At this time the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal was still under construction, and not connected to the River Irwell, but terminated at Oldfield Road in Salford
Tomlinson, Victor I. (1991), , The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society, archived from the original on 10 October 2008
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manchester and Salford Junction Canal.
External linksedit
Location of northwest canal entrance from Google Maps imagery
Images of the canal on Flickr
Image of canal entrance at Water Street, 1938
Subterranea Britannica pages on the canal
Pennine Waterways pages on the canal
Image of eastern end of canal 1973
January 01, 1970
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The Manchester and Salford Junction Canal was a canal in the city of Manchester It was originally built to provide a direct waterway between the Mersey and Irwell Navigation and the Rochdale Canal The canal opened in 1839 and was abandoned in 1922 Manchester and Salford Junction CanalThe canal stub viewed north towards the junction with the River IrwellSpecificationsLocks7 stop lock originally 7 stop lock lock 2 1 chamber converted to dry dock StatusClosedHistoryOriginal ownerMersey and Irwell Navigation CompanyPrincipal engineerJohn GilbertDate of first use1839Date closed1922GeographyConnects toRochdale Canal Contents 1 History 2 Decline 3 Route 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Notes 5 2 Bibliography 6 External linksHistory editThe lack of any direct canal link between the Mersey and Irwell Navigation and the Rochdale Canal meant that goods being transported using both waterways had to be offloaded onto carts and carried across the city before being loaded back onto boats to continue their journey This was costly and time consuming as well as adding to traffic congestion on the streets of Manchester In 1799 the nearby Manchester Bolton amp Bury Canal company proposed to connect their canal 1 to the Rochdale canal with an aqueduct across the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Due mainly to strong objections from the Mersey and Irwell Navigation who would have suffered a loss of trade the link was not forthcoming 2 In 1805 John Nightingale was asked by the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company to estimate the cost of a canal link between Manchester and Salford Nothing would happen until 1836 when John Gilbert was appointed as engineer In 1838 just as the canal was being built the Bridgewater Canal Company were completing their Hulme Locks Branch Canal This provided an alternative route from the Rochdale Canal to the River Irwell and cargoes from either direction could navigate onto the Irwell without the need to use the new Junction Canal nbsp An underground section of the canal Construction of the new canal was funded in part by the proprietors of the Manchester Bolton amp Bury Canal 3 The canal was opened in 1839 In 1885 the Great Northern Warehouse was built on top of the line of the canal and a dock was constructed to allow the interchange of goods There were four large bays below the warehouse with two lift shafts to allow goods to be unloaded from the boats using the canal and raised up to the warehouse for storage vteManchester amp Salford J Canal Legend nbsp nbsp nbsp River Irwell nbsp Lock 1 nbsp Water Street Bridge nbsp Granada Studios car park nbsp nbsp Lock 2 Paired Locks 1 Later Dry Dock nbsp nbsp Brunswick Branch amp Wharf nbsp Slate Wharf nbsp nbsp A56 Deansgate nbsp nbsp Transhipment Dock nbsp Locks 3 amp 4 Paired Staircase Locks nbsp Stop Lock nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Bridgewater Hall Basin Unnamed Branches nbsp in water unnavigable nbsp nbsp nbsp Rochdale Canal nbsp proposed extension 1836 never builtDecline editThe canal was constructed just as railways were becoming popular In later years both the Bridgewater and Rochdale canals came to be owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company removing the competitive incentive for keeping both canals open and the Junction Canal was abandoned in 1922 During the Second World War sections of the canal were drained and converted for use as air raid shelters Route editThe canal ran for 5 furlongs 1 km between the River Irwell from southwest of Quay Street to a branch of the Rochdale Canal southeast of Lower Mosley Street mostly through a 499 yard 456 m tunnel The canal is now dry and disused although large parts remain underneath the city particularly sections underneath the Great Northern Warehouse and Granada Studios The original western entrance is still visible from the River Irwell the eastern entrance has been redeveloped into a small canal basin behind the Bridgewater Hall The canal used four locks and lifted water from the River Irwell with two pumping stations locks 2 were paired Locks Locks 3 amp 4 were paired staircase locks Location Coordinates Lock 1 53 28 44 N 2 15 26 W 53 4789 N 2 25725 W 53 4789 2 25725 Lock 1 Lock 2 53 28 43 N 2 15 24 W 53 478734 N 2 256632 W 53 478734 2 256632 Lock 2 Slate Wharf 53 28 42 N 2 15 22 W 53 478416 N 2 256148 W 53 478416 2 256148 Slate Wharf Transhipment Dock 53 28 37 N 2 14 58 W 53 476848 N 2 249349 W 53 476848 2 249349 Transhipment Dock Lock 3 53 28 35 N 2 14 54 W 53 476445 N 2 248293 W 53 476445 2 248293 Lock 3 Lock 4 53 28 35 N 2 14 53 W 53 476396 N 2 247946 W 53 476396 2 247946 Lock 4 Stop Lock 53 28 33 N 2 14 45 W 53 475716 N 2 245764 W 53 475716 2 245764 Stop Lock Bridgewater Hall Basin 53 28 32 N 2 14 43 W 53 475582 N 2 245167 W 53 475582 2 245167 Bridgewater Hall Basin See also edit nbsp United Kingdom portal nbsp Transport portal Canals of the United Kingdom History of the British canal systemReferences editNotes edit At this time the Manchester Bolton amp Bury Canal was still under construction and not connected to the River Irwell but terminated at Oldfield Road in Salford Hadfield amp Biddle 1970 pp 251 252 Tomlinson 1991 p 45 Bibliography edit Hadfield Charles Biddle Gordon 1970 The canals of northwest england volume 2 David and Charles limited ISBN 0 7153 4992 9 Tomlinson Victor I 1991 The Manchester Bolton And Bury Canal The Manchester Bolton amp Bury Canal Society archived from the original on 10 October 2008 nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manchester and Salford Junction Canal External links editLocation of northwest canal entrance from Google Maps imagery Images of the canal on Flickr Image of canal entrance at Water Street 1938 Subterranea Britannica pages on the canal Pennine Waterways pages on the canal Image of eastern end of canal 1973 History of the Great Northern Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Manchester and Salford Junction Canal amp oldid 1135283099, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
