Bridgewater Canal Basin, Worsley, Greater Manchester

The starting point for the Duke of Bridgewater's canal. The Duke built the canal to carry coal from his mines at Worsley into Manchester. It opened in 1764. The canal went right into the mine workings. The coal was loaded onto barges underground. Over 100 men worked at the basin, maintaining the barges that travelled from here. The town looked like a seaport by the 1770s. The house was built in the 1850s for the first Earl of Ellesmere.

Location

Greater Manchester Worsley

Period

Victorian (1837 - 1901)

Tags

canal transport water mining