Thirlmere Aqueduct - 1892 - Pendlebury, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 30.882 W 002° 17.569
30U E 546892 N 5929762
This cast iron triple arch aqueduct across the River Irwell is one small section of a 96 mile long aqueduct that carries drinking water from the lake District to the City of Manchester.
Waymark Code: WM11YMM
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/12/2020
Views: 1
Thirlmere Aqueduct
"The Thirlmere Aqueduct is a 95.9-mile-long (154.3-kilometre-long) pioneering section of water supply system in England, built by the Manchester Corporation Water Works between 1890 and 1925. Often incorrectly thought of as one of the longest tunnels in the world, the aqueduct's tunnel section is not continuous.
The aqueduct was built to carry approximately 55,000,000 imperial gallons (250,000 m3) per day of water from Thirlmere Reservoir to Manchester. The construction of the reservoir and aqueduct was authorised by the Manchester Waterworks Act of Parliament. The first phase was completed in 1897 and, for the pipeline sections, subsequent phases were completed in 1925. The first water to arrive in Manchester from the Lake District was marked with an official ceremony on 13 October 1894."
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The bridge that forms this portion of the aqueduct was built adjacent to a road bridge and the three arches can only be seen from the river bank of the river Irwell on the north side. The other side is just visible from the side of the road bridge but the parapet blocks most of the view, although this is the only place that a plaque showing the coat of arms of Manchester and a date of construction can be seen.
MANCHESTER CORPORATION
WATER WORKS
1892
The bridge is a Grade II Historic England Listed Building.
"Water Supply Aqueduct, 1892, constructed for the Manchester Corporation Water Works. Engineers, J F Bateman and G Hill. Cast iron arches, spandrels and parapet balustrading, rising from ashlar and coursed squared gritstone block abutments and intermediate piers. Triple-arched structure, the arched sides with decorative pierced spandrels linked by pierced transverse girders. Above the arches, a broad band of triangular strutting, then a shallow band of similar design and then the arcaded parapet balustrading with moulded handrail. At the centre of the balustrade to the central arch, a plaque bearing the coat of arms of the Manchester Corporation and the inscription 'Manchester Corporation Water Works - 1892'. Intermediate piers with ashlar facings, and carved and domed cutwaters to north-west side. Springing stones for cast-iron arches above, projecting cornice at level of parapet base, and projecting moulded caps. Ashlar-faced abutments with the cornice at the same level as they occur in the piers, ashlar parapet and heavy moulded coping. Aqueduct deck divided into 3 longitudinal bays by intermediate metal strutting, and carrying 2 large-section water supply pipes, and subsidiary piping in third bay. A carefully-proportioned structure designed to harmonise with the adjacent road bridge, and a prominent component of one of the most ambitious of the late-C19 civic water supply projects, designed to supply Manchester with water from the Lake District."
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