Ashton Canal, Clockhouse Swingbridge (C) David Dixon

SJ8997 : Ashton Canal, Clockhouse Swingbridge

taken 5 years ago, near to Droylsden, Tameside, Great Britain

Ashton Canal, Clockhouse Swingbridge

Bridge #15 on the Ashton Canal is this swing bridge at Fairfield.

Droylsden had two 'Clockhouses', so the workers could know when it was time to awake for their toil in the mills. The north clockhouse was on Greenside Lane overlooking the Medlock Valley. The south clockhouse was near here at Yew Tree Farm, close to the Moravian Settlement. Apparently (Link

(Archive Link

) All About Droylsden) there were only five clockhouses in the whole of Britain and Droylsden had two of them. Sadly they were allowed to disappear before their importance was realised.

Ashton Canal

The Ashton Canal runs eastwards from Manchester to Ashton under Lyne. It links the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Peak Forest Canal with the Rochdale Canal and Bridgewater Canal and forms part of the "Cheshire Ring".

The original scheme was completed in 1796, running from a large basin behind what is now Piccadilly Station in Manchester, climbing gradually eastwards via 18 locks to Fairfield, Droylsden. From there one level section continued eastward to Whitelands Basin, Ashton under Lyne, while another arm headed north through what is now Daisy Nook, climbing another eight locks to Hollinwood, with a branch running east from Daisy Nook towards Park Bridge. A short arm from Portland Basin crossed the River Tame to Dukinfield. A year later an additional branch from Clayton to Stockport was opened.

The short link between Ashton Canal Basin at Piccadilly and the Rochdale Canal was not opened until 1800, when disputes about canal tolls and responsibility for paving the streets around the basins were resolved.

The Peak Forest Canal, opened in 1800, joined the Ashton Canal by way of the Dukinfield spur across the aqueduct over the Tame at Portland Basin.

The Hollinwood Branch Canal closed in sections between 1932 and 1961. The Stockport Branch Canal was closed in 1962.

History: Link

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Grid Square: SJ8997, 112 images (more nearby )
Photographer: David Dixon (find more nearby)
Date Taken: Thursday, 15 November, 2012 (more nearby)
Submitted: Saturday, 17 November, 2012
Geographical Context: Paths Canals
Canal (from Tags): Ashton Canal
Subject Location: OSGB36: SJ 8964 9771 [10m precision]
WGS84: 53:28.5608N 2:9.4535W
Camera Location: OSGB36: SJ 8967 9771
View Direction: West-southwest (about 247 degrees)