Bridge 21 Over The Caldon Canal - Stockton Brook, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 03.733 W 002° 08.917
30U E 557054 N 5879531
This bridge is an accommodation bridge for a nearby farm and is known as Norton Green Lift Bridge.
Waymark Code: WM11JN1
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/02/2019
Views: 3
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
The bridge is used to give access across the canal for a farm next to the canal. It is usually left in the down position and only raised when a boat needs to pass along the canal.
It is electrically operated with a control panel on the canal side. A key is necessary to operate the panel and as it is the same design as the key required to access pumping stations all boat owners will have one.