[New post] Another local canal walk – Meccano Bridge to Giant’s Seat
Eunice posted: "After walking along the upper section of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal three weeks ago the continuing good weather prompted me to take a walk along the lower section just one week later. Parking on a residential lane close to the upper canal at " Life In The Mouse House
After walking along the upper section of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal three weeks ago the continuing good weather prompted me to take a walk along the lower section just one week later. Parking on a residential lane close to the upper canal at Little Lever my walk started at the Meccano Bridge where a wide path took me downhill past what had once been the six staircase locks which joined the two sections of canal. The lower three locks had been filled in sometime in the 1950s but the upper three had still just about been visible and in 2015/16 the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society completely excavated the whole flight of six, although nature is now starting to take over again at the lower end.
Staircase locks from the Meccano Bridge
At the bottom of the locks was the lower canal basin which narrowed into the 185ft long Prestolee Aqueduct crossing over the River Irwell below. The canal was clear for quite a distance before becoming overgrown with reeds for a couple of hundred yards, then as it started to become clear again I spotted a moorhen having what looked like a very enjoyable bathing session.
Prestolee Aqueduct crossing the River Irwell
The canal ended at what was once Ringley Old Lock, and having been infilled many years ago there's now little evidence of a lock ever being there. A short distance downhill through woodland the canal would have passed under the main road through Stoneclough and Ringley villages; the path continued across the far side but the stone steps down from the road were too steep and narrow to tackle with two dogs on leads so I took a diversion along very pleasant minor road instead.
The road took me to Ringley Old Bridge which crosses the River Irwell, linking Ringley with Stoneclough. Grade ll* listed in 1986 it was built in 1677 at a cost of £500, replacing a wooden bridge which was swept away during a flood in 1673. By the end of the bridge was La Roma, formerly the Lord Nelson pub but now an Italian restaurant, and a very attractive grassed area with a couple of benches overlooking the river, plus a flowery installation with a large picture frame placed strategically to frame a view of the bridge.
At the far end of the bridge, protected by metal railings, was the old village stocks and across the lane St. Saviour's Church with its free-standing tower. The original church, known as Ringley Chapel, was endowed by Nathan Walworth who was born at Ringley Fold but spent much of his life in Wiltshire where he became steward to the Earl of Pembroke. Built in 1625 as a chapel of ease it was dedicated to St. Saviour on its consecration in 1635 by the Bishop of Chester.
In 1826 the chapel was rebuilt with the architect being Charles Barry who later designed the current Houses of Parliament and went on to receive a knighthood. The chapel was consecrated in 1827 but proved to be too small and after a relatively short life of around twenty years it was eventually demolished although the tower was left intact. The present church, designed in Gothic Revival style by Lancaster architects Sharpe and Paley, was built between 1850 and 1854 and sited further back from the road, leaving the tower in an isolated position close to the churchyard entrance. An altar from the original 17th century chapel is situated at the east end of the north aisle and the stained glass windows on the north side of the chancel also date from the 17th century, while Nathan Walworth is remembered in inscriptions and a portrait.
The tower itself features a date stone from the original chapel with the carved inscription ''Nathan Walworth builded mee Anno : Do 1625'' with a later inscription underneath referring to the addition of a vestry in 1720 and the 1826 rebuilt church. Below that, and difficult to read as it was partially in shade, an inscription refers to the tower itself - ''This tower was repaired, raised two feet and a new clock erected in commemoration of the Jubilee of the New Church built 1854. Reopened July 1907''. Unfortunately the church wasn't open to visitors but I did have a quick look round the grounds which contain the war graves of six soldiers of the First World War and two airmen, a soldier, and a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officer of the Second World War.
Almost next door to the church was The Horseshoe pub dating back around 300 years. One of the oldest pubs in the area it was known as a scheduled stop for all Manchester-bound packet boats on the canal and landlords would serve ale to thirsty passengers before they continued their journey. The canal and its towpath ran directly behind the pub but nature has reclaimed so much over the years that the only way I could tell there had once been a canal there was by the existence of the large coping stones visible in various places along one edge of the path.
Past the back of the United Utilities waste water treatment plant the path took a right-angled turn at what was once Giant's Seat Lock, bringing me down onto the road which followed the original line of the canal past Giant's Seat Garden Centre, established in 1964. I made that my turn around point and as there had been nothing of much interest along the path itself I headed back to Ringley Old Bridge by the road.
The water treatment plant was built in the 1930s, updated in the 1970s and again in 2008, and though I expected the place to be issuing some rather obnoxious smells the only aroma I detected was quite a pleasant one similar to perfumed soap. Past the plant I came to an attractive village green on a corner then a couple of rows of garden-fronted terraced houses and the small Emmanuel Mission Church before arriving back at Ringley Old Bridge.
Back across the main road I picked up the canal path again and retraced my steps past open grazing land belonging to a nearby smallholding, along to the basin at the bottom of the staircase locks and my walk ended where it began, at the Meccano Bridge.
I hadn't been round the Giant's Seat area since the late 1990s - the last time on a cycle ride - so it was interesting to see it as it is now, especially as so much of the canal has been obliterated by nature, and as I only had vague recollections of the area around the old bridge it had been nice to spend a while wandering round there. Altogether it was a good canal walk and I'm now looking forward to the next one.
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