Canal Bridge 81 Rope Information Sign - Whittle-Le-Woods, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 41.006 W 002° 37.231
30U E 525063 N 5948368
This information board stands next to lock 61 on the Leeds and Liverpool canal and close to Bridge 81.
Waymark Code: WMJ111
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/07/2013
Views: 2
As the name suggests the canal connects Leeds with Liverpool a distance of 127 miles.
The construction of the canal was started in 1770 and the first section opened in 1774. The last section of the canal including this bridge and lock was built in 1816.
Bridges on the canal are very often at locks where the canal is at its narrowest, but are usually immediately next to the lock. They also usually straddle both the canal and the tow path.
At the time this stretch of the canal opened horses were still used to tow the boats along the canal. This information sign is made of embossed metal and gives detail about some of the practical difficulties of using tow ropes near to bridges. It does this with the aid of diagrams.
The following information from the board gives details of general problems and also a specific one relating to this bridge in particular.
"BRIDGE ROLLERS
The tow line often rubbed against bridges and locks, causing grooves to be worn into the stonework. vertical wooden rollers or iron guard irons were fitted to many bridges to stop such wear. The guard irons often still survive as do the iron bearings for the wooden rollers though most of the rollers have now disappeared.
The bridge here has no towpath and this made towing boats out of the lock difficult. A hook was fitted to the side of the bridge, and the tow line was passed over the hook. Then the horse walked in the opposite direction to pull the boat out of the lock. Once the boat was moving, the line was disconnected and passed under the bridge to be re-attached to the horse which now towed the boat in the usual way."