Rochdale Canal Bridge Number 8 – Mytholmroyd, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 43.843 W 001° 57.684
30U E 568517 N 5954062
This stone bridge carries the road called Brearley Lane over the Rochdale Canal and connects nearby communities with the main Burnley road, the A646.
Waymark Code: WMEPHA
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/23/2012
Views: 2
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 8 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.
At the time the canal was first opened the boats were pulled by horses. This bridge is built on a slight bend in the canal and the ropes used by the horses have left clear grooves in the stone work made as the horses went round the bend.
The bridge became an English Heritage Grade II listed building on 21st June 1984 before the canal was restored
building listing number 1230189. The listing states that the bridge has a single horse shoe elliptical arch and has band and parapet buttressed piers to either side.