Meaford Turnover Bridge - Meaford, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 52° 54.924 W 002° 09.849
30U E 556203 N 5863186
This single span brick bridge carries the canal towpath over the Trent & Mersey Canal and is bridge 97.
Waymark Code: WM10B9T
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/06/2019
Views: 3
"As its name implies, the Trent and Mersey canal (T & M) was built to link the River Trent at Derwent Mouth (in Derbyshire) to the River Mersey. The second connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal, which it joins at Preston Brook in Cheshire. Note that although mileposts measure the distance to Preston Brook and Shardlow, Derwent Mouth is a mile or so beyond Shardlow.
The plan of a canal connection from the Mersey to the Trent ("The Grand Trunk") came from canal engineer James Brindley. It was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1766 and the first sod was cut by Josiah Wedgwood in July that year at Brownhills, Burslem. In 1777, the canal was completed, including more than 70 locks and five tunnels, with the company headquarters in Stone."
link
At this point the towpath switches from one side of the canal to the other and the bridge carries the towpath over the canal. At the time the canal was built, canal boats were pulled by horses. A turnover bridge was designed to allow horses to go over the bridge without unhitching the rope from the boat.
This bridge is also used by local farms to gain access to their fields.