The Cheshire Ring

[Geoffrey Hammond]

Having just returned from a thoroughly enjoyable week's school canal trip round the Cheshire Ring, I would like to find answers to two questions which the boys fairly asked, but which I was unable to answer.

 

1. On the Trent and Mersey, why are almost all the bridges white?

 

2. At the beautiful Bosley flight on the Macclesfield, what is the role of the white curved spike in the ground about 4 ft beyond the top gates on the right hand side of many of the locks?

 

Many thanks.

[John Orentas]

Hi Geoff.

 

The canal system in it's working days was very much a 24 hours per day business, even today people still ask "Is it OK to travel at night" well of course it is and always has been, so the purpose of the white paint is fairly obvious..

 

The curved spikes have slightly different names around the country but 'strapping posts' is perhaps the most common, a fully loaded narrowboat takes a lot of stopping when you have only one horsepower, equally it would take a lot of effort to accelerate it up to walking speed. Many boats used an ingenious pulley system on the towing line, the horse would have a 2:1 advantage for the first 30 feet or so of travel, the boat end of the line having been looped over the post, it would slip off as the boats towing mast past by..

 

The boatmen would often take a turn around another post with a mooring line on entering the lock, he could slow and then stop the boat with little effort.

 

There are many variations and added contraptions on the various canals, they were originally all privately built and owned, watch out for rollers fitted to exposed stonework.

Edited April 13, 2009 by John Orentas

[Geoffrey Hammond]

John,

 

Many thanks for your reply.

 

Concerning the white bridges - what is it that makes the Trent and Mersey special? I can pass under many brick bridges on the Oxford Canal and see plain bricks, but almost every brick bridge north of Red Bull on the Tand M is painted white.

 

Geoffrey