Stone Bridge 40 On The Leeds Liverpool Canal - Parbold, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 35.043 W 002° 44.736
30U E 516841 N 5937275
The Leeds Liverpool canal is the longest canal in Northern England.
Waymark Code: WMPW7E
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/28/2015
Views: 1
The canal is 127.25 miles long and flows from the inland woollen town of Leeds to the coastal sea port of Liverpool, crossing the Pennines along the way. Work on the canal started in 1770 and built in a number of sections and was finally completed in 1816.
The bridge also known as Gillibrand Bridge is a Grade II
Listed building
with the following description.
"Accommodation bridge over Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Probably early 1770s. Coursed sandstone. Single elliptical arch. Band below parapet with coping. The section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Newburgh and Gathurst follows the line of Leigh's Cut, begun by the Douglas Navigation c1753. Work was in progress in 1772, and the canal between Gathurst and Liverpool was opened for traffic in 1774. Hadfield, C., and Biddle, G., The Canals of North West England, 1970, vol I, p73."
Like many of the bridges on this canal the arch stones are painted white to help boat owners judge their approach through the bridge. In addition because the bridge straddles the tow path on one side of the canal the bridge keystone is not in the middle of the canal. A vertical white line painted on the bridge parapet indicates the middle of the canal itself to further aid navigation.