Stone Bridge 10 On The Peak Forest Canal - Woodley, UK - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Peak Forest Canal
It is a narrow canal constructed between 1794 and 1805 and is fourteen miles long. It connects Buxworth with Dukinfield where it joins the Ashton Canal. The sixteen locks near the town of Marple raise the canal a height of 210 feet in a distance of 1 mile.

The advent of the railways and later modern roads led to the decline of the canal and it fell into disuse between 1920 and 1960. An upsurge in leisure boat use led to the canal being restored and reopened in 1974.

The Bridge
The bridge is known as Unity Mills Bridge. Although the bridge was not built specifically for the cotton mill known as Unity Mills further down the canal, it is such a large mill that the locals gave its name to the bridge.

The bridge is on a slight bend in the canal and in the days when boats were towed by horses, the tow ropes wore grooves in the bridge supports. In order to protect the stone work metal bars were attached to each side of the bridge, and even these were damaged by the ropes. The metal bars are still attached and serve as a reminder of the early history of the canal.

The bridge has now been given a modern use, and a long distance recreational trail crosses over the bridge. The Trans-Pennine Trail is a national coast to coast route for recreation and transport – for walkers, cyclists and (in parts) horse riders. It was completed in 2001 and links Southport on the Irish Sea to Hornsea on the North Sea. This main part of the route is 215 miles (346Km) long and there are other link paths giving a total distance of 370 miles (595 km). link

What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Pedestrians and cyclists What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: The Peak Forest Canal Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: Unnamed footpath Location: Woodley, Tameside Length of bridge: Not listed Height of bridge: Not listed Date constructed: Not listed

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