Middlewood

The locks at Middlewood once took the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal down to a junction with the River Irwell. After abandonment of the canal it was filled-in through this area and it was thought that the canal was lost for ever. However, in 2007 redevelopment of the derelict area began and the reinstatement of the canal was part of the scheme.

Today the canal is navigable up two locks and through the development to a basin adjacent to the railway across the old alignment. This scene shows the new and vibrant place that this area has become, with apartment blocks both completed and being built. There was an arts event later in the day with hundreds of people attending and enjoying the sunshine alongside the revitalised waterway.