Bridge 6 On Rufford Branch Of Leeds Liverpool Canal - Burscough, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 37.692 W 002° 49.029
30U E 512092 N 5942172
This swing bridge was built as an accommodation bridge for a nearby farm.
Waymark Code: WMQEJE
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/16/2016
Views: 1
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.
The Bridge
The bridge was originally built in 1820 as a wooden manually operated swing bridge. It is now a steel counterweight manually operated bridge.
John Powell reports that the 1965 BW bridge survey recorded the bridge as a steel swing accommodation bridge owned by British Waterways. It had a span of 40 feet 8 inches over a clear waterway width of 17 feet 2 inches indicating that it was of a balanced cantilever design.
Having studied the Tuesday Night Club's photographs of the bridge John suspects that the balanced cantilever swing bridge has been replaced by a counterweighted bridge - a site inspection is needed!"
link
The bridge has a board with the following operating instructions.
BRIDGE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
TO OPEN
INSERT BW KEY AND TURN CLOCKWISE TO RELEASE LOCKING PIN
LIFT LOCKING PIN TO RELEASE BRIDGE
OPEN BRIDGE TO ROAD CLOSED/CANAL OPEN POSITION
TO CLOSE
MOVE BRIDGE TO ROAD OPEN POSITION, LOCKING PIN SHOULD
FALL TO HOLD BRIDGE
TURN KEY ANTICLOCKWISE TO RELEASE BW KEY