Lift Bridge Over Arm Of The Ashton Canal – Ancoats, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 28.867 W 002° 13.270
30U E 551684 N 5926074
This lift bridge has recently been installed as part of a residential development area on the Ashton Canal.
Waymark Code: WMHANT
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/16/2013
Views: 7
The Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal runs between Manchester and Ashton under Lyne, UK. It ascends for 6.7 miles and has 18 locks. It was originally built in 1796 to transport coal to the large industrial city of Manchester. As time went on a number of other short canals were built as branches to feed other goods from surrounding towns into the network. In 1800 the canal was extended slightly within Manchester to join the Rochdale Canal which greatly extended the network of the canals connected to Manchester.
At its peak it was a successful canal, but competition from railways and then roads caused its closure in 1958.
During the 1960s and 1970s canals started to become popular with leisure boaters. After a long campaign this canal was restored and reopened in 1974.
The bridge
The area around this art of the canal was very industrial with many factories. When the industry declined it was left largely derelict but in recent years is slowly being redeveloped for offices and residential apartments.
There are already a few colourful apartment blocks alongside the canal. As part of the next phase of the development a small arm off the canal is being built so that an attractive waterfront can be added to all the apartment blocks. There will also be berths for canal boats as part of the development.
The bridge carries the towpath of the main canal over this new arm. The counterweight of the bridge has been painted yellow to blend in with the colourful design of the apartment blocks. The bridge has been installed to allow boats that wish to berth here to pass along the newly opened arm of the canal.
Bridge Type: Drawbridge (Bascule Bridge)
Span: 10 feet
Pedestrian Traffic: yes
Bicycle Traffic: yes
Vehicular Traffic: no
Railway Traffic: no
Built: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the bridge and record the exact coordinates where the picture was taken.