2014

SJ9398 : Portland Basin Waterwheel

taken 10 years ago, near to Ashton-Under-Lyne, Tameside, England

Portland Basin Waterwheel
Portland Basin Waterwheel
The water wheel was installed between 1839-41 to power the hoists inside the warehouse (SJ9398 : Ashton Canal, Portland Basin Museum). These were originally hand-operated but this became impracticable as the amount of traffic using the building increased.

Water reaches the wheel via a leat from Portland Basin which runs across the front of the warehouse underneath the wharf. The flow of water is controlled by the penstock which was originally opened or closed from inside the warehouse. The water drained away from the wheel pit through a tailrace tunnel sloping down to the River Tame.

The waterwheel was in a derelict condition for several years but was restored and rebuilt 1987/88.
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: LinkExternal link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · River Tame [54] ·
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SJ9398, 686 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
David Dixon   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 28 May, 2014   (more nearby)
Submitted
Wednesday, 4 June, 2014
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 9349 9847 [10m precision]
WGS84: 53:28.9745N 2:5.9741W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 9349 9847
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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