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 Where Two Transport Revolutions Met - Patricroft, UK Posted by:  dtrebilc
N 53° 29.055 W 002° 21.602
30U E 542465 N 5926332
This information board about the Bridgewater Canal is one of a number that were installed in the Salford area as part of a 5.5 million pound regeneration project.
Waymark Code: WM123JF
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/17/2020
Views: 0
The regeneration project including renovation of a canalwharf, artworks along the canal and information boards and maps.
The Duke's Canal
Welcome to the Bridgewater Canal. Britain's first purpose-built canal is a place of global importance, inspired by the vision of three men and the toil of hundreds of nameless heroes. -
Francis Egerton the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, looked at his regularly flooded coalmines and inspired by the canal he encountered on a trip to France, realised that an artificial river could be a way of solving his drainage problems whilst also feeding the region's developing industries with the fuel it needed. Opened in 1761, the canal revolutionised transport and would act as a spark for one of most dramatic moments in the story of human beings - the Industrial Revolution.
The canal also became the blueprint for many later canals and inspired a period known as 'canal mania.'
Where two transport revolutions met
Today much of the area around the canal in Patricroft is suburban and residential. Up until recently however this area was renowned for its industry and transport connections.
In 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester railway crossed the canal at Patricroft — the world's first passenger railway crossing the world's first purpose-built canal. Whilst heavy in symbolism, in truth the railway marked the death knell of the canal as a commercial transport route.
James Nasmyth, a Scottish inventor, relocated his Bridgewater Foundry to Patricroft in 1836 to take advantage of its excellent transport links.
A royal visit
Queen Victoria patronised both forms of transport. She alighted from her train at Patricroft in 1851 to continue her journey by canal barge to Worsley. She embarked onto a specially commissioned barge just on the opposite side of the canal. The landlord of the nearby Patricroft Tavern, the world's oldest railway inn, renamed it The Queen's Arms in honour of her visit.
A changing skyline
Up until very recently most of the sites along the canal were occupied by mills, as the aerial photo above testifies to. Since around 2010 these mills have gradually made way for new housing developments.
Type of Historic Marker: Stand alone information board.
Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Salford City Council
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Age/Event Date: Not listed
Related Website: Not listed
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