Bridge 42 Over The Caldon Canal - Cheddleton, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 04.217 W 002° 02.533
30U E 564171 N 5880517
This brick single arch bridge carries Leek Road over the Caldon Canal.
Waymark Code: WM11H8E
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/25/2019
Views: 4
The Caldon Canal
The Caldon Canal opened in 1779 to carry Peak District limestone, from the quarries at Cauldon Low, down to the Potteries and the industrial Midlands. A short branch was built 18 years later connceting the Caldon with the town of Leek. Another branch extended the navigation to Uttoxeter but this lasted only until 1845 when it was closed and replaced with a railway line.
Freight traffic deserted the Caldon shortly after the construction of a parallel railway line and the canal became virtually unnavigable by the 1960s. Enthusiasts were justifiably vocal in clamouring for its restoration and it was brought back into use in 1974.
The Uttoxeter Branch still lies derelict but work has recently started on rebuilding the very first lock. Similarly, the final mile of the Leek Branch is no longer navigable, but plans are now being hatched to restore navigation across a surviving aqueduct further towards the town."
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The bridge is quite close to a former warehouse that straddles the canal.
At the time the bridge was built the area was less developed and when road traffic increased it was subsequently widened. The join can be seen under the bridge and one half of it has been lined.
The other side of the bridge supports a large pipe.