A fairly 'lock heavy' canal with an average of just over 3 per mile.
Tuel Lane Lock (19 feet 8 inches deep) near Sowerby Bridge, which combines two earlier locks (3 & 4) so that the canal may tunnel under a road built on its original level.
Lock Gates
Tunnel AqueductThe Rochdale Canal is an historic waterway in Northern England, which was constructed in the late 18th century to transport goods and raw materials between the towns of Manchester and Rochdale. The canal was designed by the renowned canal engineer John Rennie and opened in 1804.
The Rochdale Canal runs for 32 miles from its junction with the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield in Manchester, through the towns of Rochdale and Todmorden, and terminates at Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire. The construction of the canal was a major engineering feat, involving the construction of several locks, a number of short aqueducts, and many bridges.
The canal played an important role in the transport of cotton and other raw materials during the Industrial Revolution and helped to establish Manchester and Rochdale as major industrial centres. The canal was also used for the transport of goods such as timber, iron and corn, as well as passengers and livestock.
However, the canal faced increasing competition from the railways in the 19th century and as a result, its use declined. The last commercial traffic on the canal was in the 1950s, and it was officially closed to navigation in 1952.
In recent years, there have been several restoration projects aimed at reopening the Rochdale Canal to navigation. Today, the canal is used for recreational purposes such as boating fishing, and walking. It is an important part of the cultural and historical heritage of Manchester and Rochdale. The canal has also been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is home to a range of wildlife.
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We have added 103 Waterways and there are 2685 entries listed and displayed on our maps and/or the resource pages:
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