Arch Bridge 3 Over The Rufford Branch Of The Leeds Liverpool Canal – Burscough, UK - Stone Bridges on Waymarking.com

The main line of 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.

This branch off the main line links Burscough to the River Douglas at Tarleton. This was also built in stages between 1760 and 1805.

The canal is a broad canal and the maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 62 feet long and 14 feet wide. The maximum headroom is 7 feet and 8 inches. The maximum draught is 3 feet and 7 inches.

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 this case it is only painted on the entrance side to the lock. In this case because the bridge does not straddle the towpath as well as the canal the arch stone is also the middle of the canal. Navigation is therefore easier than a normal bridge over the canal and in this case the paint is rather faded.

The bridge known as German's Lock Bridge is a Grade II Listed building with the following description. "Canal lock and associated accommodation bridge, on Rufford Branch of Leeds-Liverpool Canal. c.1781, altered. Resident engineer Richard Owen. For the Leeds-Liverpool Canal Company. Large dressed sandstone blocks, with wooden gates, small cast-iron mooring bollards on both sides, overflow channel on west side. Bridge over north entrance: a stilted basket-arch with emphatic punch-dressed rusticated voussoirs, dressed band, parapet of massive blocks with rounded coping, plain terminal piers, steps down at west end, and oval number plate "3" on north side. Located on boundary between Burscough CP and Lathom CP."

All locks on the canal have an overflow channel to prevent flooding which is normally covered over. In this case the outlet of the overflow is through a very small arch in the abutment of the bridge in effect making it a double arch bridge.

THe bridge provides access to both sides of the lock to enable boat owners top operate the lock gates and paddles.

Physical Location (city, county, etc.): Burscough, Lancashire Road, Highway, Street, etc.: German's Lock Lane Water or other terrain spanned: Rufford Branch of Leeds Liverpool Canal Architect/Builder: Richard Owen Construction Date: 1781

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