Clifton Viaduct is a Grade II listed stone structure crossing the River Irwell

River Irwell

The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...

 in Clifton, Greater Manchester

Clifton, Greater Manchester

Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley in the northern part of the City of Salford....

, and also the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal

Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal

The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal is a disused canal in Greater Manchester, England, built to link Bolton and Bury with Manchester. The canal, when fully opened, was 15 miles 1 furlong long. It was accessed via a junction with the River Irwell in Salford...

. It is known locally as 'The 13 arches'. It is currently disused and closed to the public.

History

The viaduct was constructed in 1846 to carry trains from Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

 to Rossendale

Rossendale

Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...

 along the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway, over the Irwell Valley

Irwell Valley

The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...

. It has 13 arches. The line was closed in 1966. The viaduct passes another notable structure, Clifton Aqueduct

Clifton Aqueduct

Clifton Aqueduct, built in 1796, carried the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal across the River Irwell in Salford, England. It is preserved as a Grade II listed building. The construction is of dressed stone with brick arches. Three segmental arches with keystones rest on triangular-ended...

.

See also

• List of railway bridges and viaducts in the United Kingdom
• Philips Park, Whitefield
  Philips Park, Whitefield
  Philips Park is an area of parkland situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury on the boundary of Whitefield and Prestwich, in Greater Manchester. The park consists of rich woodland and grassland habitat and is home to an assortment of wildlife...
  
  

External links

• http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/mbb/mbbc31.htmImages of Clifton Aqueduct
  Clifton Aqueduct
  Clifton Aqueduct, built in 1796, carried the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal across the River Irwell in Salford, England. It is preserved as a Grade II listed building. The construction is of dressed stone with brick arches. Three segmental arches with keystones rest on triangular-ended...
  
   and the Viaduct]
• http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/ic6/27.htmlDistant image of Irwell Valley
  Irwell Valley
  The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
  
  with the Viaduct in the centre]