The Trent and Mersey Canal
"The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 93.5-mile long canal (150.5 km) in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and north-west of England...
...As its name implies, the Trent and Mersey canal (T & M) was built to link the River Trent at Derwent Mouth (in Derbyshire) to the River Mersey. The second connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal, which it joins at Preston Brook in Cheshire."
link
The Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal
"The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester. It was opened in 1761 from Worsley to Manchester, and later extended from Manchester to Runcorn, and then from Worsley to Leigh.
Often considered to be the first "true" canal in England, as it relied upon existing watercourses as sources of water rather than as navigable routes. Navigable throughout its history, it is one of the few canals in Britain not to have been nationalised, and remains privately owned. Pleasure craft now use the canal which forms part of the Cheshire Ring network of canals."
link
The link from Runcorn to Manchester included a small branch at Waters Meeting to connect to this tunnel and the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Preston Brook Tunnel
"...The single most influential thing to happen in the history of our villages was the opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1776. The canal was linked with the Trent & Mersey Canal in 1772 at a point just 11 yards inside the north end of the Preston Brook tunnel. This spot is marked today by a milepost on the path over the tunnel, which was used to walk the horses that pulled the boats the three-quarters of a mile to the other end near Dutton Locks. In January 1776 the final mile of the canal through the Norton Priory estate was cut and the canal opened for through traffic. Many trans-shipment warehouses were soon being built and Preston Brook really came into being as a very busy transport centre.
Few of these original buildings are left but examples still standing are the Stafford Warehouse on the main canal, which has now been converted into apartments, and Stitt’s Warehouse on the Runcorn arm which is now a commercial building. The business activities in Preston Brook were encouraged by the opening in 1837 of the railway with a passenger station and a goods yard to allow materials to be transhipped to and from the canal. It was not until the third quarter of the 19th Century that canal traffic declined as the railway network spread throughout the country. The passenger station was closed on 1st March 1948, and the Goods Depot on 1st. September 1958.
For almost one hundred years all boats were horse drawn and were “legged” through the tunnel, however in 1865 steam tugs were introduced, but the tunnel had no air vents, resulting in a number of boatmen being overcome by fumes and dying. Very soon ventilation shafts were sunk. A section of the Preston Brook tunnel collapsed much more recently in November 1981, and the tunnel was closed for repair until April 1984..."
link
The tunnel is a Heritage England Grade II listed building with the following text. "Canal tunnel linking south end of the Bridgewater Canal with the Trent and Mersey Canal Circa 1777. Of red brick with stone dressing to tunnel ends. The tunnel is without tow path therefore bridges, linked to a ground level horse track, form the tunnel ends. The only access point is at the "Talbot Arms" on the A533 Northwich Road at Dutton. The bridge at the south end of the tunnel is of blue bricks with stone arch ring, projecting carriage arch, parapet abutments and coping; these features have been lost at the north end, which has been rebuilt in red facing bricks."
link
There are a number of information and history boards at the tunnel entrance.
Preston Brook Tunnel
Portal North
Tunnel length: 1138m / 3733ft
Method of working: One way traffic
Maximum craft size:
4m / 13ft 1" Beam (at normal water level)
2.5m / 8ft 2" Air draft (at normal water level
Approximate travel time through the tunnel: 15 mins
You are strongly advised to wear a buoyancy aid / life jacket when travelling through the tunnel
Tunnel not suitable by canoes and unpowered craft. Please follow the diversion way marker.
TRENT & MERSEY CANAL
PRESTON BROOK TUNNEL MARKS THE START OF THE TRENT AND MERSEY
CANAL, WHICH RUNS FOR 93 1/2 MILES THROUGH CHESHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE
AND DERBYSHIRE TO JOIN THE RIVER TRENT AT DERWENT MOUTH NEAR
SHARDLOW. THE TUNNEL IS 1133 METRES LONG AND WAS COMPLETED IN
1775 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE CANAL IN 1777.
This plaque was placed here by the Preston Brook Owners
Association and the Trent and Mersey Canal Society and was unveiled by
HARRY ARNOLD
Chairman Trent & Mersey Canal Society on the 5th May 1984
PRESTON BROOK TUNNEL
FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF EXTENSIVE REPAIRS
THIS TUNNEL WAS RE-OPENED TO NAVIGATION BY
SIR FRANK PRICE DL
CHAIRMAN, BRITISH WATERWAYS BOARD
ON THE 17th APRIL 1984
TRENT AND MERSEY CANAL
TWINNED WITH
CANAL DU CENTRE, BELGIUM
PRESTON BROOK APRIL 17TH 1984
STREP-THIEU MAY 9th 1984
SIR FRANK PRICE DL
CHAIRMAN, B.W.B.
LOUIS OLIVIER
MINISTRE DES TRAVAUX, PUBLICS, BELGIUM