Islington Branch Canal - History

History

Although it was only 1,034 yards long (945m) it was, in its prime, an important industrial branch and it had its own short arm leading to private wharfs. It was lock free and throughout its working life it was extensively used. It had coal, sand and salt wharfs, a scrap iron wharf and various works along its banks. An interesting works was Molineux, Webb, & Company’s Glass Works situated at the head of the branch where flint glass products were made.

In 1801, Samuel Oldknow, then the Chairman of the Peak Forest Canal Company, offered an Edward Stelfox £50 towards the cost of building two lime kilns on the banks of the Ashton Canal on the condition that he burned limestone brought along the Peak Forest Canal. The site of these kilns is unknown but it is suspected that they were somewhere on this branch near Limekiln Lane.

From the junction with the Ashton Canal, the branch ran to the north-west, until it passed under Mill Street. There was a sharp turn immediately beyond the bridge, and it continued in a north-easterly direction. It remained in use until the 1950s but by this time it was slowly becoming derelict. However, part of it remained open and British Waterways now has a yard there.