Bridgewater Way

Gtr Manchester, Halton, Warrington
The Bridgewater Way is a new route being developed in the north-west of England that follows the towpath of the Bridgewater Canal - in Salford, Trafford, Manchester, Warrington, Halton and Cheshire.

The Bridgewater Canal built in the 1760s by the Duke of Bridgewater to carry coal was the first man-made canal in Britain and it started the Canal mania that followed in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries that revolutionised transport in this country and was an integral part of the industrial revolution. Today the canal is well used and maintained but much of the canal towpath is uninviting and unattractive and the project aims to upgrade the towpath for use by pedestrians and cyclists.

The canal is named on OS maps and the first section into Manchester is coincident with the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk.

The distance of 39 miles includes a 3 mile spur into Manchester City Centre.

In December, 2007, Sustrans competed in a public poll for £50 million of Lottery money, spread across 79 projects nationwide for their Connect2 project. The bid was successful and will go towards creating new cycling and walking routes in communities across the UK, including upgrading the Sale section of the Bridgewater Way canalside walk. Peel Holdings/the Bridgewater Canal Trust hope to have the path fully upgraded in time for the Canal's 250th anniversary in 2011 - further funding will be needed. See website below for details.

Details:

Path Type

Other Paths

Attributes

Cycle Route; Canal; Heritage

Start

SJ510828 - Waterloo Bridge, Runcorn, Halton

Finish

SJ655998 - Leigh Bridge, St Helens Rd, Leigh, Gtr Manchester

Web Sites

Bridgewater Canal - Bridgewater Way

Publications, Badges and Certificates:

External PDF

Bridgewater Way (Bridgewater Canal Trust - 2011)

Maps:

Accommodation within 5 Km of this Path:

Connected Paths:

Downloads:

Route Profile:

57.7 Km (35.9 miles)
318 m (1,043 ft) ascent
40 m (131 ft)  maximum height

(click to enlarge)