Manchester and Salford Junction Canal
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The Manchester and Salford Junction Canal was a canal in the city of Manchester. It was originally built to transport goods from the River Irwell to the Rochdale Canal. The canal opened in 1839 and was abandoned in 1922.
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[edit] History
There was no direct canal link between the River Irwell and the Rochdale Canal. Goods had to be offloaded onto carts and carried across Manchester, before being loaded back onto boats using the Rochdale Canal. This was costly and time consuming, as well as adding to traffic congestion on the streets of Manchester.
At the same time, the Bridgewater Canal company constructed their Hulme Locks Branch, which provided a competing route into the River Irwell, and cargoes coming from either direction could pass onto the Irwell without the need to go onto the rival canal.
In later years, both the Bridgewater and Rochdale canals came to be owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, removing the competitive incentive for keeping both canals open.
[edit] Location and route
The canal ran for 5 furlongs (1 km) between the River Irwell from southwest of Quay Street, to a branch of the Rochdale Canal southeast of Lower Mosley Street, mostly through a 499 yards (456 m) tunnel - most of the canal was underground. The canal is now dry, and disused, although large parts remain underneath the city, particularly sections underneath the Great Northern Warehouse and Granada Television. The original western entrance is still visible from the River Irwell; the eastern entrance has been redeveloped into a small canal basin behind the Bridgewater Hall.
The canal used 4 locks and lifted water from the River Irwell with 2 pumping stations.
| Location | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Lock 1 | |
| Lock 2 | |
| Slate Wharf | |
| Transhipment Dock | |
| Lock 3 | |
| Lock 4 | |
| Stop Lock | |
| Bridgewater Hall Basin |
[edit] Timeline
- 1805, John Nightingale asked by the Mersey and Irwell company to estimate the cost of a link canal between Manchester and Salford.
- 1836, John Gilbert appointed engineer.
- 1839, canal opened.
- 1885, the Great Northern Warehouse built over the line of the canal.
- 1885, when the Great Northern Railway built their warehouse over the line of the canal, a dock was constructed to allow the interchange of goods.
- 1922, the canal abandoned.
During the second world war, sections of the canal were drained and converted for use as air-raid shelters.
[edit] Great Northern Warehouse
There were 4 large bays below the Warehouse with 2 lift shafts to allow goods to be unloaded from the boats using the canal, and raised up to the warehouse for storage.
[edit] Gallery
 This is the entrance to the canal, looking south. |
 Entrance to the canal looking north to the Irwell. |
 Entrance to the canal looking south, completely blocked. |
 One of the lock mechanisms. |
 Another lock mechanism. |
 Looking north, slightly from one side. |
 This shot shows the canal entrance, but looking west toward the Irwell |
