Brick Bridge 19 Over The Peak Forest Canal - Marple, UK - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Peak Forest Canal
The 18th Century had seen the development of the canal network in the UK to carry heavy goods, and led to towns such as Manchester become the first large industrial towns.

There was a demand for limestone and grit stone from the nearby quarries to be transported to Manchester and beyond and so the Peak Forest Canal was built with a connection to the Ashton Canal at Ashton-Under-Lyne.

The canal has a series of 16 locks to lift the canal a height of 209 feet from Ashton-Under-Lyne to Buxworth.

There is also a small half mile long side arm of the canal from Bridgemeount to Whaley Bridge. Even before the canal, there had been coal mines at Whaley Bridge and the canal became a useful way to move the coal and other goods.

The Bridge
The cost of the building of the 16 locks was greater than expected and the need to raise extra money was delaying the canal. In effect the canal was complete in two halves, with a gap in the middle where the locks were being built.

In order to get around this problem a temporary tramway was built starting next to this bridge. Boats loaded at the terminus at Buxworth were brought to this point and their load transshipped onto the tramway which then used the tramway to bypass the missing part of the canal. The bridge itself did not carry the tramway but was used to give access to the tramway wharf. It also is a roving bridge and carries the towpath from one side of the canal to the other, keeping the towpath away from the wharf but still giving access to it. link

The bridge, unlike the other stone bridges on the canal, was brick built. Rather unimaginatively it was called Brick Bridge and the road over it named Brickbridge Road.

What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Motor vehicles, bikes and pedestrians What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: The Peak Forest Canal Date constructed: 1801 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: The bridge is still used but the original transshipment wharf is no longer there. Name of road or trail the bridge services: Brickbridge Road Location: Marple, Greater Manchester Length of bridge: Not listed Height of bridge: Not listed

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