A squint at canals

In part 1 I posted some pictures of some of the grand designs in the architecture of old Manchester. Today it’s the canal.

One of Manchester’s important trade routes was through its canal network. Most people have heard of the Manchester Ship Canal, which is the 36 mile (58km) navigation linking Manchester, which is 40 miles (64km) inland, with the port of Liverpool and the Irish Sea. Although a huge expense at the time of its construction in 1887, it proved the most successful way of shipping cargo inland.

Following the courses of the Rivers Mersey, and Irwell (the latter being Manchester’s principal river) the Ship Canal has links with the Bridgewater Canal and the Rochdale Canal.

We decided to have a wander down a small part of the Rochdale canal during our few hours in the city. A good starting place was Canal Street, in…