Sowerby Long Bridge – Sowerby Bridge, UK - Stone Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Canal History
The Rochdale Canal was completed in 1804 and is one of three canals that cross the Pennine hills. This is the only one that doesn’t use tunnels. In addition it was a broad canal with bridges and locks that allowed boats of 14 feet width to pass through.

The one downside of not using tunnels is that it originally had 92 locks. These days two of them have been combined into one deep lock in front of this tunnel.

Competition from railways and roads subsequently led to a decline in goods being carried and by 1937 the only section left in operation was at the Manchester end of the canal.

In 1965 there was talk of abandoning the canal but by this time leisure boating had become very popular in the UK and there was a campaign to keep it open. Work was started and the canal slowly re-opened in a number of different stages.

Details of the bridge
This is bridge number 2 on The Rochdale Canal and was built in 1798 by Jessop and Crossley engineers. This is at the time that the part of the canal between Sowerby Bridge and Rochdal was opened, earlier than some other parts of the canal.

It is appropriately named Sowerby Long Bridge, because it is a lot wider than most of the bridges on the canal. In some ways you could argue it is a tunnel rather than a bridge, because it is much wider than the road itself. The bridge became an English Heritage Grade II Listed building on 19th July 1988. Even English Heritage seem confused because although for the most part it describes it as a bridge, at one point it does refer to it as a tunnel.

However if English Heritage are content to list it as a bridge then that’s good enough for me. http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1313719

It describes the bridge as made of coursed squared stone. Built abutting the rock face. It has a quoined horseshoe arch with tie-stones.

The co-ordinates are taken from the eastern end of the bridge.

Physical Location (city, county, etc.): Sowerby Bridge Road, Highway, Street, etc.: Hollins Mill Lane Water or other terrain spanned: The Rochdale Canal Architect/Builder: Jessop and Crossley engineers Construction Date: 1798

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/01/2012 hulletteers visited it