Bridge 45 on Rochdale Canal – Littleborough, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 39.174 W 002° 04.970
30U E 560618 N 5945294
The Rochdale canal is 32 miles long and connects Manchester on the west side of the Pennine Hills and Sowerby Bridge on the east side.
Waymark Code: WMD3X3
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/15/2011
Views: 3
Long Description
The Canal History
The Rochdale Canal was completed in 1804 and is one of three canals that cross the Pennine hills. This is the only one that doesn’t use tunnels. In addition it was a broad canal with bridges and locks that allowed boats of 14 feet width to pass through.
Competition from railways and roads subsequently led to a decline in goods being carried and by 1937 the only section left in operation was at the Manchester end of the canal.
In 1965 there was talk of abandoning the canal but by this time leisure boating had become very popular in the UK and there was a campaign to keep it open. Work was started to repair the canal and the whole length finally reopened in September 2007. As well as leisure boats, the canal attracts lots of walkers and cyclists along the tow path.
Details of this bridge
This stone bridge 45 is on the western side of the summit of the canal and was built to provide access to farmland on either side of the canal.
It is immediately adjacent to lock 45 to the south of it. The canal always narrows at locks so the bridge is much cheaper and easier to build. The depth of the lock allows the arch to be much shallower than if it was having to rise from the normal tow path level. The tow path does not even pass under the bridge enabling it to be narrower still.
The bridges and locks are numbered starting from the town of Sowerby Bridge. Not every lock has a bridge next to it, and conversely some bridges stand alone without a lock. Although the numbers are therefore independent of each other coincidentally at this point the numbers are the same and both have number 45.
There is a tow path alongside the western side of the canal allowing access on foot. The nearest place to approach from is the A58 to the south. Alternatively there is a public footpath that connects with the A6033 at Gale and crosses the nearby railway line.
What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Farm vehicles, farm animals and pedestrians
What kind of gap does this bridge cross?:
Rochdale Canal
Date constructed: 1/1/1804
Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes
Name of road or trail the bridge services: Unnamed track
Location:
Near the small village of Gale
Length of bridge: Not listed
Height of bridge: Not listed
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