Keeping Up Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 Crossing the Barton Aqueduct yesterday made me wonder, how did the horse get across, there's no towpath? How did the boat get across, you couldn't leg it? Or were all boats mechanised, or being towed by a steam tug, by the time it was built? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hider Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 14 minutes ago, Keeping Up said: Crossing the Barton Aqueduct yesterday made me wonder, how did the horse get across, there's no towpath? How did the boat get across, you couldn't leg it? Or were all boats mechanised, or being towed by a steam tug, by the time it was built? Changed horses at both ends?? Seahorses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pluto Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 The towpath has been removed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearley Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) You can still see the remnants of the mountings. If you're following us to Liverpool then I should warn you that there are very few boats around. Pete Currently at Wigan. Edited June 5, 2019 by pearley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeping Up Posted June 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) It definitely looked too narrow to take a wide boat and have a towpath. In that photo the boat looks as if it takes the full width of the aqueduct, I can't work out where the man is standing is he winding the handle? ETA but now I see the horse in the air; that's interesting. We passed through Wigan this afternoon. Edited June 5, 2019 by Keeping Up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted June 5, 2019 Report Share Posted June 5, 2019 2 hours ago, pearley said: You can still see the remnants of the mountings. You can also see the remains of the ramps at either end of the aqueduct whch once carried the towpath up from canal level to the elevated towpath on the main structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeping Up Posted June 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Thanks for the replies, guys, that's fascinating. I shall look more closely when we go back in a couple of weeks time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 It did seem to rely on a horse being entirely happy to be put on an open platform many feet into the air, high above the top canal, let alone the one it is crossing, and to remain calm whilst it is swung round through 90 degrees twice. I would not have been keen to be up there with a horse that decided it was unhappy about it, particularly as once started the whole process takes some considerable time to go through, and there is no means of removing the horse in the meantime. To this day watching the operation, (albeit without horse!), is really quite fascinating.https://sickleandflamingo.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-shorter-day-than-expected-to-lock.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 15 hours ago, Pluto said: The towpath has been removed. The bridge must have been swung with the horse and boat on it to get this photo so I guess it was posed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 2 hours ago, alan_fincher said: It did seem to rely on a horse being entirely happy to be put on an open platform many feet into the air, high above the top canal, let alone the one it is crossing, and to remain calm whilst it is swung round through 90 degrees twice. I would not have been keen to be up there with a horse that decided it was unhappy about it, particularly as once started the whole process takes some considerable time to go through, and there is no means of removing the horse in the meantime. To this day watching the operation, (albeit without horse!), is really quite fascinating.https://sickleandflamingo.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-shorter-day-than-expected-to-lock.html Alan, you have lost me! Why would the horse need to be on the raised towpath while the bridge was swung twice through 90%? Surely the boat, and horse, on the raised towpath, would cross as they do now when the aqueduct is open to the canal. A straight cruise/walk across. Haggis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 If they'd put waders on the horses they could have towed them along normally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taslim Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 38 minutes ago, haggis said: Alan, you have lost me! Why would the horse need to be on the raised towpath while the bridge was swung twice through 90%? Surely the boat, and horse, on the raised towpath, would cross as they do now when the aqueduct is open to the canal. A straight cruise/walk across. Haggis Good point Haggis. I go with Brian on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykaskin Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 1 hour ago, haggis said: Alan, you have lost me! Why would the horse need to be on the raised towpath while the bridge was swung twice through 90%? Surely the boat, and horse, on the raised towpath, would cross as they do now when the aqueduct is open to the canal. A straight cruise/walk across. Haggis I think he just means for the posed photograph as shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 38 minutes ago, mykaskin said: I think he just means for the posed photograph as shown. Possibly ? . If it wasn't that this is a very old photo I would suggest it had been Photo Shopped! haggis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 3 hours ago, haggis said: Alan, you have lost me! Why would the horse need to be on the raised towpath while the bridge was swung twice through 90%? Surely the boat, and horse, on the raised towpath, would cross as they do now when the aqueduct is open to the canal. A straight cruise/walk across. Haggis I have seen various references that suggest that swinging it with a boat on it was not unusual. That has always struck me as very odd, (I can't imagine why you would), but if you Google for it, I think you may find such references. Now awaits suggestions that a boat, being a "hole in the water" reduces the weight on the trunk, and makes it easier to swing! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 7 minutes ago, alan_fincher said: I have seen various references that suggest that swinging it with a boat on it was not unusual. That has always struck me as very odd, (I can't imagine why you would), but if you Google for it, I think you may find such references. Now awaits suggestions that a boat, being a "hole in the water" reduces the weight on the trunk, and makes it easier to swing! ? The usual reference to a boat being "a hole in the water" makes mention of throwing money into said hole. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hider Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 11 minutes ago, alan_fincher said: I have seen various references that suggest that swinging it with a boat on it was not unusual. That has always struck me as very odd, (I can't imagine why you would), but if you Google for it, I think you may find such references. Now awaits suggestions that a boat, being a "hole in the water" reduces the weight on the trunk, and makes it easier to swing! ? No, but its tricky to balance it ! Is the horse Pegasus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 What happened if the horse up on high there had a sudden attack of vertigo, clinging on with fright with all its might and won't let go. Is the fire brigade called along with a horsey person to calm it and talk it down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, bizzard said: Is the fire brigade called along with a horsey person to calm it and talk it down? A tranquilliser dart gun might be a better bet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 26 minutes ago, alan_fincher said: I have seen various references that suggest that swinging it with a boat on it was not unusual. That has always struck me as very odd, (I can't imagine why you would), but if you Google for it, I think you may find such references. This is intriguing! have done a bit of Googling but not found anything about the aqueduct being swung with a boat on it. Probably my Googling skills ? haggis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 1 minute ago, haggis said: This is intriguing! have done a bit of Googling but not found anything about the aqueduct being swung with a boat on it. Probably my Googling skills ? haggis I'm now tempted to think that posed pictures were sometimes taken, and that has got interpreted to it having been a regular thing. It makes no sense, does it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 They swing the road bridge next to it with loads of trippers on it. Well they did when I last crossed in about 1992. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hider Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Magic Roundabout? I've been trying to work out where the camera man was standing for the shot. Is that a Bridgewater maintenance boat? A lot of crew for a carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptAWOL Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 2 hours ago, hider said: Magic Roundabout? I've been trying to work out where the camera man was standing for the shot. Is that a Bridgewater maintenance boat? A lot of crew for a carrier. The camera is from the Trafford side of the ship canal, the control box/unit is to the north of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 The towpath access ramp at the south end. From http://est1761.org/heritage-stories/barton-bridges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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