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The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal is a disused canal, built to link Bolton and Bury with Manchester. The canal, when fully completed in 1796, was 15 miles long. It was connected with the River Irwell in Salford, in 1808.

From Salford the canal ran up the Irwell valley to reach Nob End, where it climbed the Prestolee Locks, and then split into two branches leading to Bolton and Bury. The canal was built principally to serve the many collieries in the area, as well as to transport other cargo such as stone and timber.

By 1846 a parallel railway had been built to Bury, and the canal went into decline. The Bolton arm went out of use in 1924, though with some minor use until 1947. The Bury arm was breached just above Nob End in 1936, but the then isolated Bury arm continued to be used until 1951, principally between the canalside Ladyshore Colliery and Bury. The final section of the canal was officially closed in 1961, and much of it was filled in.
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Link Exploring Greater Manchester, a fieldwork guide (web edition); edited by Paul Hindle, Manchester Geographical Society
Link Wikipedia article
Link Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society website
Link Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, Pennine Waterways

The Irwell Sculpture Trail is the largest sculpture route in the UK. It follows a winding route which extends for more than 33 miles from Bacup to Salford Quays and features more than 70 artworks from local, national and international artists.
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