Stone Bridge Over Canal Tunnel Horse Path - Romiley, UK - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Peak Forest Canal
It is a narrow canal constructed between 1794 and 1805 and is fourteen miles long. It connects Buxworth with Dukinfield where it joins the Ashton Canal. The main purpose of the canal was to transport limestone from quarries above Buxworth.

The canal has sixteen locks near the town of Marple that raise the canal a height of 210 feet in a distance of 1 mile.

The advent of the railways and later modern roads led to the decline of the canal and it fell into disuse between 1920 and 1960. An upsurge in leisure boat use led to the canal being restored and reopened in 1974.

Hydebank Tunnel
"The tunnel was designed and built by canal engineers Benjamin Outram and Thomas Brown. It is 285 meters long and has no tow path.

At the time of the canal's construction canal boats were towed by horses. In places where long tunnels were built there was usually no towpath through the tunnel. The boat was propelled through the tunnel by men lying on their backs and using the legs against the roof of the tunnel to walk the boat along its length.

Meanwhile the horse used a path over the tunnel and rejoined the canal further along ready to continue towing the boat from there. Apparently the horses were so used to the route that they were left to follow the path on their own whilst the boatman "legged" the boat through the tunnel.

The Bridge
Near to the tunnel is Oakwood Hall. A road built in 1845 connecting the hall to Oakwood Road had to have this bridge erected to pass over the horse path." link

The bridge became an English Heritage Grade II Listed Building on 11th October 1985 and it tells us that it is "Dressed stone with ashlar dressings. In the Gothic manner. Single Tudor arch span flanked on either side by square piers changing to semi-hexagonal at the upper level. The parapet walls curve outwards (in plan) at the ends terminating at one end in square piers and in octagonal gatepiers at the other. The walls have a moulded band, moulded coping and 3 corbelled semi-hexagonal projections on each side." link

"A four-centred arch, also known as a depressed arch or Tudor arch, is a low, wide type of arch with a pointed apex. It is much wider than its height and gives the visual effect of having been flattened under pressure. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius and then turn into two arches with a wide radius and much lower springing point." link

What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Motor vehicles, pedestrians and cycles What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: A horse path leading over a tunnel on The Peak Forest Canal Date constructed: 1845 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: Private road to Oakwood Hall Location: Romiley, Tameside Length of bridge: Not listed Height of bridge: Not listed

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