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Bridgewater Canal with Leigh Branch
Cheshire

























Bridgewater Canal with Branch to Leigh
As an annex to the Branch canal of Leeds & Liverpool in Leigh, this canal leads over Manchester down to the River Mersey at Runcorn. There is another side arm to Castlefield at Manchester, where the Bridgewater has access to the Rochdale Canal.

History
Some people think of the Bridgewater to be the oldest canal of England. This is not correct at all, sorry! The Romans first built the Foss Dyke Canal and the Exeter Ship Canal was also constructed in 1556.
1763 the stretch from Worsley to Manchester was opened and in 1772, the canal was finally navigable all through.

The Canal:
It was at first a fast way for the coal of St. Helens to Manchester. Today, it’s a comfortable connection to the southwest of Manchester, where one has access to the Trent & Mersey and the Shropshire Union Canal and therewith to Birmingham and the south of England.