Hollinwood Branch Canal
Encyclopedia
The Hollinwood Branch Canal was a canal near Hollinwood, in Oldham
, England. It left the main line of the Ashton Canal
at Fairfield Junction immediately above lock 18. It was just over 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and went through
Droylsden
and Waterhouses to terminate at Hollinwood Basin (Hollinwood Top Wharf). It rose through four locks at Waterhouses (19-22) and another four at Hollinwood (23-26). Immediately above lock 22 at Waterhouses was Fairbottom Junction where the Fairbottom Branch Canal
started. Beyond Hollinwood Basin there was a lock free private branch, known as the Werneth Branch Canal
, to Old Lane Colliery, which opened in 1797.
This canal was extensively used until about 1928 when trade began to decline rapidly due to competition from railways and roads. However, this was not the only problem as mining subsidence was becoming serious and it unofficially closed in 1932, although parts of it remained navigable. It was not until 1955 that most of it was officially closed and the short remaining section from the main line at Fairfield Junction was officially closed in 1961.
. Not only is it suffering from the effects of mining subsidence
but also its line has been severed twice by the Manchester ring road, which would require the construction of aqueduct
s to cross it. Another aqueduct would also be required to replace one across a railway that was demolished some time ago. The line up to Hollinwood Basin could not be restored because buildings now obstruct it but there are plans to connect the rest of it to the Rochdale Canal
by means of a short new canal from just below the site of lock 23. Such a link was originally planned in 1792, but never constructed.
The first part of the restoration has started, with a £100 Million redevelopment scheme for Droylsden including housing, flats, restaurants, shops and offices, centred around a new marina which is connected to the line of the canal, and which was opened in September 2008. About 190 yds (175m) of canal from the junction with the Ashton Canal have been refurbished, and new waterside facilities for boaters are available near lock 18. The original plans would have blocked further restoration of the canal, but were changed after representations were made by the Hollinwood Canal Society, and the canal will now pass under a building which will span the route.
The Hollinwood Branch Canal at Waterhouses is unique among Britain’s canals and it is now part of the Daisy Nook Country Park
owned by the National Trust
. In 1,320 yards (1,207 m) it included every type of canal feature, as well as some more unusual ones as well. Over this length these features were once to be found, starting and ending with road bridges over the canal:
Mention must be made of a neighbour of the pumping engine known as ‘Fairbottom Bobs’. This was a Newcomen steam engine
(more accurately a Newcomen atmospheric engine) used to pump water from a coal mine. The water was pumped along a wooden flume for a distance of about 219 yards (200 m) and then discharged into the Fairbottom Branch Canal at Fenny Fields Bridge.
In 1929 this engine was dismantled and taken to the USA by Henry Ford
who had it completely restored. It was then placed at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan
.
s driven by the River Medlock. The 'bobs' were L-shaped linkages designed to convert the circular motion of the wheels into an up-and-down pumping action. Early maps show the Newcomen engine as "Mr. Lees' Engine" and the Ashton Company had to negotiate with Mr. Lees (in 1798) to have the water redirected into the canal when it was built.
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, England. It left the main line of the Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...
at Fairfield Junction immediately above lock 18. It was just over 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and went through
Droylsden
Droylsden
Droylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the east of Manchester city centre, and west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172....
and Waterhouses to terminate at Hollinwood Basin (Hollinwood Top Wharf). It rose through four locks at Waterhouses (19-22) and another four at Hollinwood (23-26). Immediately above lock 22 at Waterhouses was Fairbottom Junction where the Fairbottom Branch Canal
Fairbottom Branch Canal
The Fairbottom Branch Canal was a canal near Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, England.-Route:The canal left the Hollinwood Branch Canal at Fairbottom Junction immediately above lock 22. It was just over one mile long and it was lock free...
started. Beyond Hollinwood Basin there was a lock free private branch, known as the Werneth Branch Canal
Werneth, Greater Manchester
Werneth is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-southwest of Oldham's commercial centre and one of Oldham's most ancient localities.-History:...
, to Old Lane Colliery, which opened in 1797.
History
The Hollinwood Branch Canal was comparatively rural in character apart from mills and factories at Droylsden. Its main purpose was to carry coal from numerous local collieries to the many mills and factories in the neighbourhood of the Ashton Canal. Passengers were also carried along its length.This canal was extensively used until about 1928 when trade began to decline rapidly due to competition from railways and roads. However, this was not the only problem as mining subsidence was becoming serious and it unofficially closed in 1932, although parts of it remained navigable. It was not until 1955 that most of it was officially closed and the short remaining section from the main line at Fairfield Junction was officially closed in 1961.
Future
Fortunately, much of the line of the former canal remained intact, and there are now plans to re-open it as an amenity canal; these plans have the support of the local authorities. However, the problems of restoring this canal are far more challenging than those of restoring the Stockport Branch CanalStockport Branch Canal
The Stockport Branch Canal was a 5 mile branch of the Ashton Canal from Clayton to Stockport-Route:The canal left the main line of the Ashton Canal at Stockport Junction , between locks 10 and 11 at Clayton, and it terminated at Stockport Basin just beyond the top of Lancashire Hill...
. Not only is it suffering from the effects of mining subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
but also its line has been severed twice by the Manchester ring road, which would require the construction of aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s to cross it. Another aqueduct would also be required to replace one across a railway that was demolished some time ago. The line up to Hollinwood Basin could not be restored because buildings now obstruct it but there are plans to connect the rest of it to the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
by means of a short new canal from just below the site of lock 23. Such a link was originally planned in 1792, but never constructed.
The first part of the restoration has started, with a £100 Million redevelopment scheme for Droylsden including housing, flats, restaurants, shops and offices, centred around a new marina which is connected to the line of the canal, and which was opened in September 2008. About 190 yds (175m) of canal from the junction with the Ashton Canal have been refurbished, and new waterside facilities for boaters are available near lock 18. The original plans would have blocked further restoration of the canal, but were changed after representations were made by the Hollinwood Canal Society, and the canal will now pass under a building which will span the route.
Features
Daisy Nook
Daisy Nook is a country park in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, England. The park runs through the Medlock Valley in an area once called Waterhouses. Waterhouses was one of three 'houses' in the Failsworth area, the other two being Millhouses and Woodhouses.-History:The name Daisy Nook came from a...
owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. In 1,320 yards (1,207 m) it included every type of canal feature, as well as some more unusual ones as well. Over this length these features were once to be found, starting and ending with road bridges over the canal:
- A road bridge (Waterhouses Bridge)
- A tunnel (Waterhouses, Boodle or Dark Tunnel). This was opened out in the 1920s.
- A single-arched stone aqueduct over the River MedlockRiver MedlockThe River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in North West England. It rises near Oldham and flows, south and west, for ten miles to join the River Irwell in the extreme southwest of Manchester city centre.-Source:...
(Waterhouses Aqueduct) - A flight of four locks (19–22), the inner pair of which were staircase locks in that the top gates of the lower lock were also the bottom gates of the upper lock (Waterhouses Locks)
- A small brick-built hut by lock 21 that is believed to have been used for the payment of wages
- A canal junction where the Fairbottom Branch Canal started (Waterhouses Junction)
- The towpath of the Fairbottom Branch Canal crossed the Hollinwood Branch Canal on a swivel bridge located across the head of lock 22.
- An overspill weir crossed by the towpath on a low pier of stone blocks
- A lock-keeper’s cottage, which doubled as an office for the collection of tolls
- A pumping engine (beam engine) used to back pump water from the canal below lock 19 to the canal above lock 22
- A wooden flume over the pump house yard used to carry the water from the pump house back to the canal
- A footbridge over the canal having a wrought-iron balustrade (Occupation Bridge)
- A cast-iron aqueduct over Crime Lane (Crime Aqueduct)
- A lake at the side of the canal that resulted from canal works at the time construction. As built, the canal severed the course of a brook and a culvert was made below the canal to accommodate this. A landslip blocked this and the waters were impounded on the offside of the canal. The new lake and canal became one and the lake was officially known as Crime Bank Reservoir but it is far better known by its later name of Crime Lake.
- A road bridge (Crime Bridge)
Mention must be made of a neighbour of the pumping engine known as ‘Fairbottom Bobs’. This was a Newcomen steam engine
Newcomen steam engine
The atmospheric engine invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712, today referred to as a Newcomen steam engine , was the first practical device to harness the power of steam to produce mechanical work. Newcomen engines were used throughout Britain and Europe, principally to pump water out of mines,...
(more accurately a Newcomen atmospheric engine) used to pump water from a coal mine. The water was pumped along a wooden flume for a distance of about 219 yards (200 m) and then discharged into the Fairbottom Branch Canal at Fenny Fields Bridge.
In 1929 this engine was dismantled and taken to the USA by Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
who had it completely restored. It was then placed at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
.
Name
The name "Fairbottom Bobs" is older than the Newcomen engine. It was used to describe the pumps driven by water wheelWater wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
s driven by the River Medlock. The 'bobs' were L-shaped linkages designed to convert the circular motion of the wheels into an up-and-down pumping action. Early maps show the Newcomen engine as "Mr. Lees' Engine" and the Ashton Company had to negotiate with Mr. Lees (in 1798) to have the water redirected into the canal when it was built.
Points of interest
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...