The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal is a canal in Greater Manchester, in the north west of England. It runs between Manchester, Bolton, and Bury. It is currently disused, unnavigable, and undergoing restoration. The canal begins in Bury, passing through Radcliffe and through the Irwell Valley before branching northwest to Bolton, and southeast to Manchester. The canal also joined with Fletcher's Canal at Clifton Aqueduct. The Salford arm of the canal emptied into the Irwell near to the Regent Road Bridge. This was the only point of access from the rest of the waterway network.
There are many interesting features along the canal, including Prestolee Aqueduct and Clifton Aqueduct, both Grade II listed structures. At the junction of the three arms of the canal at Nob End, two sets of three staircase locks, separated with a passing basin, form Nob End Locks (sometimes referred to as Prestolee Locks). The locks lowered the level of the canal 64 feet (20m) over a distance of 600 feet (183m). The upper staircase is still visible, however most of the lower staircase has been filled in and much of the stonework removed.
The 1936 breach of the canal at Nob End demonstrates the impressive engineering used in the construction of the retaining wall of the canal. Railway lines are clearly visible, used to increase the strength of the walls.
The iconic steam crane (also the logo used by the canal society) sits rusting and unused at Mount Sion, on the Bury arm. Built in 1884, the crane was used to move goods between the boats on the canal and a loading yard far below.
The initial proposal for the canal probably came from a group in Bolton with the support of the Mersey and Irwell Navigation. A survey by Matthew Fletcher was commissioned in 1790. Further surveying was then carried out by Hugh Henshall (brother-in-law of James Brindley). Work began in 1791 following the passing of an Act of Parliament for the construction of the canal. Designed by Matthew Fletcher, significant parts of the canal were completed by 1796. Much of the canal opened in 1797, although the locks at Salford (and access to the River Irwell) were not completed until 1809. The cost of construction of the canal was £127,700.
The principal supply of water was Elton reservoir at Bury which was fed by floodwater from the River Irwell. The Bury and Bolton arms are on one level, however the Salford arm used 17 broad locks, some in staircases (Nob End for instance). Originally 15.25 miles (25km) in length, the canal descended 187 feet (57m) from the summit in Bury to the lowest point at Salford. The canal was originally designed to be a narrow canal with narrow locks, however during construction it was planned to link the canal to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and therefore broad locks were built to accommodate this traffic. The route of the Leeds and Liverpool canal was changed however, and the planned link never materialised.
