Bronze Duck Pond Worsley, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 29.936 W 002° 22.818
30U E 541107 N 5927954
This group of bronze ducks stands next to the Bridgewater Canal near to its start point.
Waymark Code: WM11ZWD
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/18/2020
Views: 1
The Bridgewater Canal
"The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester. It was opened in 1761 from Worsley to Manchester, and later extended from Manchester to Runcorn, and then from Worsley to Leigh.
Often considered to be the first "true" canal in England, as it relied upon existing watercourses as sources of water rather than as navigable routes. Navigable throughout its history, it is one of the few canals in Britain not to have been nationalised, and remains privately owned. Pleasure craft now use the canal which forms part of the Cheshire Ring network of canals."
link
The area around Worsley underwent a renovation in 2018 by Salford City Council funded by a Lottery Heritage Fund. As well as improving access to the area with resurfaced footpaths and information boards a number of sculptures were also created.
This artwork was inspired by the many ducks that congregate around this area. The group depicts a group of ducks swimming and diving along the canal. They are cast in bronze as well as the surface of the water.
At one time the water in the canal around here was always stained orange because iron oxide used to leak out of the former coal mines. Installation of pumping stations to control the water flow have now stopped this happening, but the bottoms of the ducks used to be stained red by this water and these bronze ducks have been painted to reflect this.
http://www.scartworks.co.uk/my-product/bronze-duck-pond/