The Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal runs between Ashton –under –lyne and to the City of Manchester, initially established to provide a logistical solution for the transportation of coal from the mines in Ashton and Oldham to the city. The project undoubtedly inspired by the success of the Duke of Bridgewater’s canals in serving his own mines.
1792 saw a gathering of interested parties, principally mine owners and potential investors agree a proposal for the establishment of the then named Manchester, Ashton under Lyne and Oldham canal. The proposal was put before Parliament and duly approved.
The initial stages of the scheme were complete by 1792 … no mean achievement even by todays standards. It ran from a large basin at a location near the Piccadilly station in Manchester from where it moved eastwards climbing the 18 locks at Fairfield, Doylsden. Here it divides with an arm going east towards Ashton-under lyne and the other North towards Daisy Nook and Hollingwood with another branch from Daisy nook to Parl Bridge with Duninfield serviced by a
short arm from Portland Basin. A year on another addition was made linking Clayton to Stockport.
Essentially the Ashby canal intended as an isolated canal at onset, this suiting the purposes of the owners, but by 1800 but with the business of local politics and finance resolved the canal was linked to the Rochdale canal from the Basin at Piccadilly, though those negotiations were not easy ones. Negotiations were plagued by disputes about toll charges and who should pay for the paving of associated streets and pathways etc… Further problems and general mistrust were
caused by the legal rights allowed by Parliament which enabled mine owners to build their own short branches to service their mines, which of course raised the opportunity for both abuse and suspicions of abuse.
The main line of the canal between Ashton and Manchester was 6.75 miles in length, though the Hollingwood and Stockport branches with offshoots were more than twice this. A further 3mile section from the Stockport branch east towards Haughton green was never completed.
The canal thrived in the first half of the 19th Century, carrying coal, stone and generally supplying the raw material for mills , while also providing transport for manufactured goods to market. However as always with the development of railways in the latter part of that century trade gradually began to decline, the railways at first working in conjunction with the canals and then later taking over almost completely, though the canals were still used to transport coal into the twentieth century while the coal mines remained viable.
The Hollingworth branch closed in stages between 1932 and 1961 and the Stckport in 1962 , by which time the Ashby was sadly neglected and largely unnavigatable.
1971 saw the canal ‘s fortunes turn with plans for renovation, with aid of a thousand volunteers recruited from right across the country and it was finally re-opened in 1974 and is now an important link to the Cheshire ring and used mainly by leisure craft.
The Ashton Canal runs between Ashton –under –lyne and to the City of Manchester, initially established to provide a logistical solution for the transportation of coal from the mines in Ashton and Oldham to the city. The project undoubtedly inspired by the success of the Duke of Bridgewater’s canals in serving his own mines.
1792 saw a gathering of interested parties, principally mine owners and potential investors agree a proposal for the establishment of the then named Manchester, Ashton under Lyne and Oldham canal. The proposal was put before Parliament and duly approved.
The initial stages of the scheme were complete by 1792 … no mean achievement even by todays standards. It ran from a large basin at a location near the Piccadilly station in Manchester from where it moved eastwards climbing the 18 locks at Fairfield, Doylsden. Here it divides with an arm going east towards Ashton-under lyne and the other North towards Daisy Nook and Hollingwood with another branch from Daisy nook to Parl Bridge with Duninfield serviced by a
short arm from Portland Basin. A year on another addition was made linking Clayton to Stockport.
Essentially the Ashby canal intended as an isolated canal at onset, this suiting the purposes of the owners, but by 1800 but with the business of local politics and finance resolved the canal was linked to the Rochdale canal from the Basin at Piccadilly, though those negotiations were not easy ones. Negotiations were plagued by disputes about toll charges and who should pay for the paving of associated streets and pathways etc… Further problems and general mistrust were
caused by the legal rights allowed by Parliament which enabled mine owners to build their own short branches to service their mines, which of course raised the opportunity for both abuse and suspicions of abuse.
The main line of the canal between Ashton and Manchester was 6.75 miles in length, though the Hollingwood and Stockport branches with offshoots were more than twice this. A further 3mile section from the Stockport branch east towards Haughton green was never completed.
The canal thrived in the first half of the 19th Century, carrying coal, stone and generally supplying the raw material for mills , while also providing transport for manufactured goods to market. However as always with the development of railways in the latter part of that century trade gradually began to decline, the railways at first working in conjunction with the canals and then later taking over almost completely, though the canals were still used to transport coal into the twentieth century while the coal mines remained viable.
The Hollingworth branch closed in stages between 1932 and 1961 and the Stckport in 1962 , by which time the Ashby was sadly neglected and largely unnavigatable.
1971 saw the canal ‘s fortunes turn with plans for renovation, with aid of a thousand volunteers recruited from right across the country and it was finally re-opened in 1974 and is now an important link to the Cheshire ring and used mainly by leisure craft.