Rochdale Canal

The Rochdale Canal runs between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge. It runs through the town of Rochdale. It is a broad canal because its locks are wide enough to allow boats of 14 feet (4.3 m) width. It runs for 32 miles (51 km) across the Pennines from the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield Basin in Manchester to join the Calder and Hebble Navigation in West Yorkshire.

James Brindley was paid to survey possible routes between Sowerby Bridge and Manchester in 1776. John Rennie made a new survey in 1791. In April 1794 the Act of Parliament was made to fix the route. The first part was opened in 1798 and it was finished in 1814. There were 92 locks.

Between 1830 and 1832, the canal carried 539,081 tons per year, which generated £40,123 in revenue. In 1839, this had risen to 875,436 tons, generating £62,712 but the opening of the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1841 made it drop. The charges were reduced and the link to Manchester Ship Canal helped to keep it going, but most of it was closed in 1952. The Rochdale Canal Society worked hard to get it open again. On 1 July 2002 the canal was opened again for boats along its entire length.