Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal

In 1948 IWA Bulletin 16 stated that IWA had been officially informed the canal had been transferred from the Control of the Railway Executive to the control of the Docks & Inland Waterways Executive.

In 1949 concerns were rasied were the Manchester, Bolton & Bury.

In March 1955 the Board of Survey reported and recommended the disposal of 771 miles of waterway including some canals like the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Barnsley Canal that had already been abandoned and closed to traffic. These "Group 3" waterways also included the Ashton, Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Bridgwater and Taunton, Chesterfield, Cromford, Dearne and Dove, Erewash, Forth & Clyde, Grand Western, Grantham, Kennet & Avon, Lancaster, Manchester, Bolton & Bury, Monmouthshire & Brecon, Nottingham, Oxford (southern section), Pocklington, Ripon, Llangollen, Montgomery, Stratford-upon-Avon (southern section), Swansea and Edinburgh & Glasgow Union canals as well as the River Witham.

In response IWA advocate a National Waterway Conservancy to look after all our waterways and point out that it is cheaper to restore and use waterways than to eliminate them.

In 1987 the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal Society was formed and cleared some parts of the canal, and towpath.

In 1995 the society changed from being an informal society to become a limited company and a registered charity.

In 1996 the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal Society, the three local authorities and British Waterways, worked to produce a detailed application to the Millennium Commission for funding to restore part of the canal. The bid was not successful but a lot of the detailed work carried out for the bid will be of use in the future.

In 2001 a proposal to build a new railway threatened to obstruct the canal near water level. After objections from the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society, British Waterways and the Inland Waterways Association, Railtrack were persuaded to compromise. The relevant road authority also compromised and agreement was reached to reduce everybody's headroom marginally to allow restoration.

At the same time there was a threat from the Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Road; the final phase of construction of which had already commenced over and alongside the River Irwell. It was to be embanked across the site of the original entrance locks to the canal from the River Irwell (seen here in 1962 before demolition). With design work nearing completion there were worries that the Government's recent promises about non-obstruction of canals "that stood a reasonable chance of restoration", had come too late. The canal society and IWA were therefore absolutely delighted with the recent announcement that a £300,000 Government funding package will finance a tunnel to allow the canal to be rebuilt under the new road without disturbing it.

Photo by Waterway Images