BW88/2/3
Ashton Canal
Description
Records relating to the Ashton Canal: deed 1784, estimates and tenders 1859, plans 1859-1889.
Date
1784-1889
Reference code
BW88/2/3
Administrative / Biographical history
The shareholders of the Ashton Canal had welcomed the railway company's offer to purchase the canal as the traffic on the canal had dropped considerably and there seemed little chance of it recovering. The railway company formally took over in 1848. A small carrying service was started in connection with the goods trains at Guide Bridge, Dukinfield and ran until 1892.
After World War One ended in 1918, road transport rapidly eroded the remaining canal traffic. The canal was also suffering from severe subsidence caused by mining in the area. The Hollinwood branch closed in 1932 and the Stockport branch saw no traffic after 1933. The main line carried a little traffic until just after the Second World War, but was completely disused by the 1950s. It was not maintained and was completely impassable in a decade. In 1968 volunteers began cleaning it up, and in 1971 the British Waterways Board began full restoration works, completed in 1974.
For further information on the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal see Edward Paget-Tomlinson's 'The Illustrated History of Canals & River Navigations' and Charles Hadfield's 'The Canals of The East Midlands'.
System of arrangement
This subsubfonds has been arranged chronologically.
Associated material
[See also: BW70 for records of the Ashton Canal during other periods of ownership]