Canal Wharf And Transhipment Warehouse - Whaley Bridge, UK - Blue Plaques on Waymarking.com

The Peak Forest Canal
The 18th Century had seen the development of the canal network in the UK to carry heavy goods, and led to towns such as Manchester become the first large industrial towns.

There was a demand for limestone and grit stone from the nearby quarries to be transported to Manchester and beyond and so the Peak Forest Canal was built with a connection to the Ashton Canal at Ashton-Under-Lyne.

The canal had a series of 16 locks to lift the canal a height of 209 feet from Ashton-Under-Lyne to Buxworth.

There is also a small half mile long side arm of the canal from Bridgemeount to Whaley Bridge. Even before the canal, there had been coal mines at Whaley Bridge and the canal became a useful way to move the coal and other goods.

Cromford High Peak Railway
After the canal opened it was proposed that a link should be built to connect it with Cromford at the end of the Cromford Canal. However the steep terrain and lack of a water supply made it impractical and a tramway was built instead. The tramway was built along the proposed route of the canal and there was a series of inclines built where the locks would have been. These inclines had static steam engines used to haul the train wagons up the inclines.

Transshipment Warehouse
This transshipment warehouse was built as a three storey building in 1832 to replace an earlier, smaller building. It was built over the canal with an entrance for canal boats at the rear to enter the building. At the front were three entrances, two to allow rail wagons to enter the building and the middle one for the canal boats.

In 1915 the building was modified and reduced to have just two stories.

Competition from road traffic led to the canal closing for business in the 1920s. Interest in leisure boating in the 1960s and 1970s led to the canal being renovated and reopened in 1974. This building became an English Heritage Grade II* listed building in 1972.

The building iself was renovated in 1993 and given a new roof by British Waterways.

The text on the plaque is as follows.

TRANSPORT TRUST

WHALEY BRIDGE
WHARF

Peak Forest Canal Wharf & transshipment
warehouse (1801), later a terminus of the
Cromford & High Peak Railway (1831)

For further information visit: www.transportheritage.com

TRANSPORT HERITAGE SITE

Blue Plaque managing agency: Transport Trust Individual Recognized: Whaley Bridge Wharf and Transshipment Warehouse Physical Address: Canal street Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire United Kingdom SK23 7LS Web Address: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/03/2016 Gushoneybun visited it