Bridgewater Canal The Bridgewater Canal runs from
Preston Brook, near
Runcorn, to
Leigh in
Greater Manchester. The original section of the canal starts at
Castlefield Basin in Manchester city centre where it joins the
Rochdale Canal. The canal runs west from Manchester for about , where it splits into two parts at "Waters Meeting" junction. It then passes Hulme Lock, an unused connection to the
River Irwell and the
Manchester Ship Canal, and a new lock at Pomona which accesses the Ship Canal. From Waters Meeting, the original part of the canal passes over the
Manchester Ship Canal on the
Barton Swing Aqueduct at
Salford and travels about to
Leigh, where it makes an end-on connection with the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The other part of the canal travels about south-west to
Runcorn, passing through the towns of
Sale and
Lymm, and to the south of central
Warrington. At
Preston Brook, the canal connects with the
Trent and Mersey Canal.
Trent and Mersey Canal The Trent and Mersey Canal links the
River Trent at Derwent Mouth (in
Derbyshire) to the
River Mersey. The second connection is made via the
Bridgewater Canal, which it joins at
Preston Brook in
Cheshire. Although mileposts measure the distance to Preston Brook and
Shardlow, Derwent Mouth is a mile or so beyond Shardlow.
Peak Forest Canal The Peak Forest Canal runs from a junction with the
Ashton Canal at the southern end of the
Tame Aqueduct at
Dukinfield through
Newton,
Hyde,
Woodley,
Bredbury,
Romiley,
Marple,
Strines,
Disley,
New Mills,
Furness Vale, and
Bridgemont. It terminates at
Bugsworth Basin, and there is a short branch at Bridgemont to
Whaley Bridge. This canal is just over long. At
Marple, the canal crosses
Marple Aqueduct and then rises through 16 locks and makes a junction at Top Lock with the
Macclesfield Canal.
Wardle Canal The Wardle Canal is located in
Middlewich,
Cheshire, and connects the
Trent and Mersey Canal to the
Shropshire Union Canal (Middlewich branch). It is the shortest canal in the UK, at approximately long, and terminates with a single lock (known as Wardle lock).
Macclesfield Canal The Macclesfield Canal runs from
Marple Junction where it joins the
Peak Forest Canal, southwards (through
Bollington,
Macclesfield, and
Congleton), to a junction with the
Trent and Mersey Canal near
Kidsgrove.
Shropshire Union Canal The Shropshire Union Canal links
Wolverhampton (and the
Birmingham Canal Navigations) with the River
Mersey. ==History==