Bridgewater Canal Breach

Liam · January 1

Quick info, the Bridgewater has breached near Ye Olde No 3 at some point this morning. The canal company are aware and have been putting stop planks in place to close the canal at Agden for draining and inspection.

The levels elsewhere are at the moment OK, but not sure for how long...

Mike Hurley · January 1

Large breech on the Bridgewater canal reported on you tube by Taylors aboard, for anyone heading that way, looks like a big one.

Mike Hurley · January 1

You beat me to it.

Liam · January 1

Another update... ooops

!

Alway Swilby · January 1

14 minutes ago, Liam said:

Another update... ooops

!

That's going to take a while to fix. And will the Bridgewater Canal Company bother?

Jerra · January 1

Just now, Alway Swilby said:

That's going to take a while to fix. And will the Bridgewater Canal Company bother?

My thoughts entirely.

Paul C · January 1

Where is the breach? (Its not in the video)

BilgePump · January 1

2 minutes ago, Paul C said:

Where is the breach? (Its not in the video)

Just looked up Ye Olde No.3 Liam mentioned. Near Little Bollington / Altrincham apparently. Certainly doesn't look trivial. Horrible start to the new year for all the boaters affected.

Unicorn Stampede · January 1

Saw these on FB

junior · January 1

Bloody hell.

billh · January 1

Looks to be near the site of the last major breach in 1972? That one nearly didn't get fixed until local authorities and others stepped in with financial assistance. I hope the same situation doesn't occur 50 odd years later😬.

Alway Swilby · January 1

1 minute ago, billh said:

Looks to be near the site of the last major breach in 1972? That one nearly didn't get fixed until local authorities and others stepped in with financial assistance. I hope the same situation doesn't occur 50 odd years later😬.

Was the canal owned by Peel Holdings back then? These days I can't see a local authority stepping in to help them out.

billh · January 1

Just now, Alway Swilby said:

Was the canal owned by Peel Holdings back then? These days I can't see a local authority stepping in to help them out.

No, it was Manchester Ship Canal Co. At the time Manchester Corporation had about half membership of the MSC board, having bailed out the co. in 1880 something to allow completion of the Ship Canal. MSC had bought the Bridgewater (£1.7M) to have an income stream during construction.

David Mack · January 1

6 minutes ago, billh said:

Looks to be near the site of the last major breach in 1972? That one nearly didn't get fixed until local authorities and others stepped in with financial assistance. I hope the same situation doesn't occur 50 odd years later😬.

As part of putting the pressure on to repair that breach, the 1973 IWA National Rally was held at Lymm, with a subsidiary gathering the other side of the breach for boats which couldn't get to Lymm. Back then the Lower Peak Forest and Ashton Canals hadn't been reopened, so there was no route around for most craft, and the prospect of an about-to-be reopened Cheshire Ring being severed at Lymm was a concern.

2 minutes ago, billh said:

MSC had bought the Bridgewater (£1.7M) to have an income stream during construction.

I thought it was more that the Bridgewater Company objected to the Ship Canal bill in Parliament due to the impact it would have on their trade between the Mersey estuary and Manchester, and the objection was resolved by the Ship Canal Company buying out the Bridgewater.

Is there still a public right of navigation on the Bridgewater Canal?

Rod Stewart · January 1

29 minutes ago, Unicorn Stampede said:

Saw these on FB

Looks close to here.If it had been the other bank,there would have been more properties at risk.

Edited January 1 by Rod Stewart

MtB · January 1

So I wonder wht caused the breach. An excess of rain over-topping the towpath perhaps...

billh · January 1

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Is there still a public right of navigation on the Bridgewater Canal?

Yes, but I guess that will be ignored as it suits. Didn't stop BW closing the Ashton illegally in 1962!

**magpie patrick** · January 1

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Is there still a public right of navigation on the Bridgewater Canal?

Yes, not being nationalised the Bridgwater wasn't affected by the provisions of the 1968 Transport Act.

How much of a lever that is to getting this fixed is another matter. I believe there is also a PRN through Welches Dam for example

junior · January 1

I was working a night shift last night in south Manchester close to there, and all I can say is that the rain was BIBLICAL.

The most mental rain I've ever experienced in person.

David Mack · January 1

23 minutes ago, Rod Stewart said:

Looks close to here

The narrower section of canal in the top two thirds of that photograph is where the channel was reconstructed after the 1971 breach, which was alongside the Bollin Aqueduct. This breach appears to be just beyond the south end of the narrowed section.

22 minutes ago, MtB said:

So I wonder wht caused the breach. An excess of rain over-topping the towpath perhaps...

The google aerial shows what looks like a small watercourse running to the south of the sewage works just where the breach is. Which makes me wonder if its a culvert which has failed.

Edited January 1 by David Mack

Rod Stewart · January 1

16 minutes ago, David Mack said:

The narrower section of canal in the top two thirds of that photograph is where the channel was reconstructed after the 1972 breach, which was alongside the Bollin Aqueduct. This breach appears to be just beyond the south end of the narrowed section.

The google aerial shows what looks like a small watercourse running to the south of the sewage works just where the breach is. Which makes me wonder if its a culvert which has failed.

Around here, i guess (Photos courtesy of google)

Edited January 1 by Rod Stewart

MtB · January 1

Hmmm, there's appears to be a stream passing under the canal embankment at that point. Possibly the culvert failed...

Rod Stewart · January 1

11 minutes ago, Rod Stewart said:

Around here, i guess

Photos from google

Liam · January 1

The point of failure was immediately south of the new concrete narrow section. The bit that failed in 1971 (and took 3 years to fix!) appears to be fine at the moment.

Interestingly a customer at the No 3 messaged me asking how the levels were, as they were on the bottom. The canal at both Preston Brook and in Leigh were topping the banks which gave the game away. I did message the engineer to let him know but probably somebody got there before me as they were quick to get on site.

Various pictures floating around on social media, videos on YouTube etc.

It won't be fixed tomorrow, that's for sure.

David Mack · January 1

19 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Yes, not being nationalised the Bridgwater wasn't affected by the provisions of the 1968 Transport Act.

The 1968 Act didn't affect the Bridgewater public right of navigation but I wonder if it has been removed under other legislation (earlier or later).

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