Today I walked the old road ......... Part Four

Our walk terminates at the Duke’sCanal which was built in 1765 to ship coal from the mines of Worsley to the homes and factories of Manchester. So successful was the venture that the price of coal dropped and the Duke was assured a handsome return on his investment. It also carried farm produce into the city and here at Stretford in 1849 the canal helped carry 873 tons of produce which rose a year later to 1,783. Much of this would have been food and much must have come by way of our road from Chorlton. It was a two way traffic with barges bringing night soil from the city to use on the farms.

The building of the canal would have both fascinated and struck terror into the surrounding local villages. The navvies who built the canals and went on to build the railways were tough often violent men who sometimes accepted part payment in alcohol. Many local people went in fear until the men moved on. They lived in temporary camps beside the canal and according to many contemporary accounts were lawless places.

What is certain is that our road became that much busier as more heavy traffic made its way from Chorlton under the canal bridge. And this might explain the raised pavement under the tunnel. Nowhere else did we encounter a pavement and I suppose out on the open road if faced with a heavy farm cart the traveller could jump into a nearby field. But here under the canal no such option was possible and a raised pavement offered protection.

Standing under this canal we reflected on the sheer volume of water above our heads. But then Cut Hole Aqueduct had successfully held that water in place for over 240 years so why should we worry?
For those with money who had travelled down our road it was possible to take the passenger boat into Manchester. In 1841 the cost from Stretford to Manchester was 6d for a front room and 4d for the back room.

“They were fitted up with large deck cabins, surrounded by windows, .... so that a person could be under cover and see the country. They were drawn by two or three good horses at the rate of six miles an hour.”

Having arrived at the canal, passengers could wait in the Watch House. Here an employee would watch for the passenger boat and ready the fresh horses so that little time would be wasted in the changeover.