Bridge 163 Over Trent & Mersey Canal - Moston, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 09.728 W 002° 24.260
30U E 539824 N 5890472
This single arch brick built bridge is an accommodation bridge over the Trent & Mersey Canal for nearby farms. It is immediately before lock number 68.
Waymark Code: WMW5NR
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/12/2017
Views: 1
The Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal was the UK's first long distance canal and as the name suggests was built to give a connection to the Rivers Trent and Mersey. (Access to the Mersey was actually via the Bridgewater Canal with some locks at Runcorn that no longer exist).
It opened in 1777 and is 93.5 miles (150.5 km) long and stretches from its connection with the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook to its connection with the River Trent at Derwent Mouth.
The Bridge
The bridge and canal lock is a combined Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Canal lock, 1777, James Brindley, engineer. Lock walls of brick and stone; single upper gate replaced in steel and double lower gates of timber. Copings partly replaced in concrete; steps replaced in concrete. The bridge of painted brickwork has deep segmental arch; abutments with concave batter, and curved in plan; square end-piers; flush stone copings."
link
The towpath at this point is on a bend and both the bridge arches and the lock wall are protected by metal bands to stop the tow ropes damaging the brickwork.