Greater Manchester: Campaigners make case for historic canal revamp

BBC News

21-02-2025

Campaigners behind the painstaking restoration of a derelict canal built at the start of the industrial revolution have said making it navigable once again could bring a "real economic boost". The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, which opened in 1797, was used to carry coal from nearby collieries to power local factories and cotton mills.It operated for more than 120 years before it began falling into disrepair.Al Franco, of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society, said large sections of the route had been filled in over the years but volunteers now have more "long-term ambitions" for its restoration.
The group has been trying to raise awareness of the benefits of restoring the canal through guided walks, public awareness campaigns and lobbying via the planning system.The canal is 15 miles long (24 km) and runs from Bolton and Bury before joining at Nob End and flowing into Manchester through Salford. Around 40 per cent of the route is still in water but the rest has been filled in.Mr Franco said restoring the waterway to its former glory would "transform the local economy".He said: "Once you've got navigation, then people want to come and visit. People want to sit in cafes and pubs along the route. "It's a real economic boost wherever canal restoration happens."However, he said he and the other volunteers know that re-opening the canal would need "decades of investment".
Developer Watson Homes is building 255 houses close to the canal on the site of the former Creams Mill, next to the River Irwell in Little Lever.The scheme includes repairing a breach in the canal at Nob End which occurred in 1936 and has left a 700m stretch without water for close to 100 years.Peter Twentyman, 79, from Little Lever told BBC Radio Manchester he uses the canal towpath every day to go walking and running.He said repairing the canal would be "brilliant".
The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal is made up of three arms, which diverge from a central junction at Nob End.The nearby Prestolee Locks have been derelict for decades, and John Ashworth, age 66 from Little Lever said he would "love to see" them reopen.He said: "The locks obviously need quite a lot of work but you can see the craftsmanship. The stones are still there after almost 250 years."
About 12 miles of the waterway is owned by the Canal and River Trust with a further three miles owned by United Utilities.The route of the canal has planning protection in Bolton, Bury and Salford.Several sections have been filled in and there are blockages along the route, including in Radcliffe, where a main road cuts the canal in two.
The Canal & River Trust has said: "We share the ambitions to bring back navigation, so it is important that the line and the heritage of the canal is protected."In the meantime, our charity's focus will be to continue to raise funds and care for 438 miles of ageing canals in the North West alone."
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