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Bridgewater Canal- Barton Upon Irwell to Leigh Easy Trail: Please Be Aware That the Grading of This Trail Was Set According to Normal Water Levels and Conditions

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Bridgewater Canal- Barton Upon Irwell to Leigh Easy Trail: Please Be Aware That the Grading of This Trail Was Set According to Normal Water Levels and Conditions Bridgewater Canal- Barton upon Irwell to Leigh Easy Trail: Please be aware that the grading of this trail was set according to normal water levels and conditions. Weather and water level/conditions can change the nature of trail within a short space of time so please ensure you check both of these before heading out. Distance: 10½ miles to Plank Lane bridge, 5 miles to Boothstown Marina Approximate Time: 2-4 Hours The time has been estimated based on you travelling 3 – 5mph (a leisurely pace using a recreational type of boat). Type of Trail: One Way Waterways Travelled: Bridgwater Canal Type of Water: Urban Canal Portages and Locks: None Nearest Town: Barton upon Irwell, Eccles, Worsley, Leigh Start: Chapel Place, Redclyffe Road, Barton upon Irwell Route Summary M41 7LG map ref.767975 Finish: Plank Lane Swing Bridge, Plank Lane, Leigh, This is a surprisingly interesting section of waterway. WN7 4QD Access the navigation at the Barton Swing Aqueduct Or Boothstown Marina map ref 726004 where the Bridgewater crosses the Manchester Ship Canal and marvel at the late Victorian engineering. It then O.S. Sheets: OS Landranger Map 109 Manchester. curves its way through the suburbs of Salford and the Licence Information: A licence is required to paddle leafy expanse of Broadoak Park to finally reach the pretty this waterway. See full details in useful Information estate village of Worsley. below. Take your time to look at the boat house, Packet House Local Facilities: A full range of shops, restaurants and and Old Court House. Note the strange orange colour of pubs are available in the nearby towns and villages. the water caused by iron ochre seeping from the old coal mines through 46 miles of underground tunnels into Worsley Delph. The actual navigation heads off left under the road bridge towards the M60 and its attendant slip roads. Page 1 of 6 Once clear of this, the canal heads west through open country through Boothstown, its industrial past forgotten until the pit-head gear of the Colliery Museum at Astley comes into view. Soon the chimneys and old mills of Leigh appear on the horizon and the junction with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Continue past Pennington Flash to the bridge at Plank Lane. Start Directions Chapel Place, Redclyffe Road, Barton upon Irwell M41 7LG map ref.767975. Alternatively there is access at: Barton Road, Worsley M28 2PD map ref 746003. Parking is available on the road in the village and there is pay and display car pay on the left opposite the Old Court House Finish Directions Plank Lane Bridge, Plank Lane, Leigh map ref.632998, post code WN7 4PP (this is actually the post code for Crankwood Road just up from the bridge). There are two car parks and a lay-by next to the bridge. Alternatively a shorter journey of 5 miles may be paddled to: Boothstown Marina map ref 726004. Turn left off the A572 down Boothhall Way M28 1YB through a new housing estate to the Moorings Public House. Just past the pub car park is a cul-de-sac where up to six cars may be parked. Description Access to the water is down a path on the Trafford Park side of the Manchester Ship Canal at a rather neglected canal side landscaped garden. Put on and paddle over the aqueduct which is still regarded as a wonder of the waterways. The present structure built in 1894 to replace the original stone arches (although one still remains) constructed in 1761 by James Brindley it was an ingenious solution of how to cross a navigation but avoid the superstructure of large vessels travelling between Eastham and Manchester down the Ship Canal. Designed by Sir Edward Leader Williams and built in a similar style to railway engineering at the time. Gates seal off the 235ft long 1450-ton section that swings at right angles over a central island. It is still a magnificent structure in spite in being in need of a lick of paint. Now, the navigation curves right through Patricroft a suburb of Salford and home to the Gardner Engine Company, then on to Eccles which lends its name to the famous round cakes filled with currents, eventually reaching the lovely estate village of Worsley which is being considered for World Heritage Site status. As you get closer the water takes on an orange tinge caused by iron ochre leaking from the mines. It is well worth taking a break here by mooring in the park opposite the old boat house in order to marvel at the Victorian surroundings. The boat house was built by Lord Ellesmere to house the royal barge built for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1851. It was drawn by two grey horses and the story goes that the crowd cheered so loudly on her visit that one of the horses became so frightened it jumped into the canal. There is also another interesting little construction next to the Packet House which was used to store oil for the canal boats. It was originally built as a grain store but never used as such. Page 2 of 6 The Packet House, a half-timbered building sits at the head of the canal where the navigation swings left. It was originally built in 1760 and still is several private dwellings. It is so named because it was where the packet boats left on their journey to Manchester. Behind is another mock Tudor construction which is the Old Court House (now a wedding venue). Before continuing on your journey paddle to the right of the Packet House and under an arch into the small shallow basin of Worsley Delph. Here the water is bright orange and in front of you are the entrances to two tunnels which lead into 46 miles of an underground canal networks. The left one is completely blocked off with sand bags but the right one although blocked off still allows the water from the now defunct coal mines to drain freely into the canal. Worsley Delph Worsley is widely recognized as the place where the seeds of the canal age were sown. Coal has been mined in the surrounding area since the 14th Century and it is thought that the drainage sough commonly used in underground workings gave rise to the network which as well draining the mines was used to bring the coal out and begin its journey to industrial Manchester and beyond. Although the mines were closed many years ago the Delph and associated tunnels still need maintaining, the underground gas is monitored and the debris swept down from the mines periodically cleared. Exiting the basin take note of a white house on an island between the entrance and exit to the basin it was a nail making workshop dating back to 1700 and pre-dates the building of the canal. The navigation continues to the right in front of the Packet House and under the road bridge. Soon the M60 and attendant slip roads cross the canal but these are eventually left behind and after the excitement of our industrial past the Bridgewater passes through open farmland towards Boothstown where a new marina and a large modern pub and restaurant have been built. If you just want to paddle a short trip you can get out here as there is plenty of parking. The areas mining heritage is never far away though as there is much evidence of subsidence and as you approach Astley the pit-head gear of the Colliery Museum is clearly visible. From here an industrial wasteland is entered but soon the mill chimneys of Leigh appear. At Leigh Bridge the Bridgewater becomes the Leeds & Liverpool Canal but our journey continues beyond Leigh towards Pennington Flash now a sailing and water activity centre. You get out at Planks Lane Bridge just beyond the Flash. This whole area was part of the Bickershaw Coal mine which was the largest and most productive mine in the Wigan area. It was eventually closed in 1992 and ever since reclamation of the land has taken place. Over 600 new houses have been built in areas with interesting names such as “Gin Pit Village” and area around Pennington Flash is being turned into nature reserve. Page 3 of 6 Useful Information The waterways in this trail are managed by Canal and Rivers Trust and require paddlers to hold a licence. If you are an existing British Canoeing member the good news is that your membership includes an annual licence for the waterways covered within this trail – please ensure you take your membership card with you on the water as this acts as your licence, if stopped with no licence, you will be at risk of being fined. You can buy a licence directly from Canal and Rivers Trust for this waterway or by becoming a British Canoeing member you’ll have a licence to cover you for a whole year. A British Canoeing membership gives you a whole range of benefits including licenses to paddle on 4500km of Britain's waterways and Civil Liability Insurance, worth up to £10 Million. If you are planning to paddle regularly this will save you great deal of money and hassle alongside having peace of mind. For more information on British Canoeing membership please click here Venture-Out, a Go Canoeing Tour Provider, have boat hire locally if you need more equipment: www.venture-out.co.uk Some places of historical interest are the Worsley Village heritage trail and the Astley Green Colliery Museum, the museum houses a 3300hp twin tandem compound steam winding engine and a collection of 28 pit locomotives.
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