Worsley Navigable Levels - The Bridgewater Canal and The Navigable Level

The Bridgewater Canal and The Navigable Level

The Act of Parliament allowing the building of the Bridgewater Canal was passed in 1759. The construction of the canal had already started when James Brindley became involved. Brindley took charge of the canal's construction. Several changes were made to the canal's course under Brindley's control and the canal was completed in 1764. Before and during the construction of the Bridgewater Canal the navigable level was begun and tunnelling progressed. A tunnel 8 feet (2.4 m) high was cut northwards into the rock from the canal level at Worsley providing 4 feet (1.2 m) of headroom and 4 feet (1.2 m) of water. The first workable seam (the Worsley Four Foot mine) was reached in 1761, 770 yards (700 m) from the tunnel's portal. The tunnel was not straight; it changed course in order to avoid trespassing under the land of neighbouring landlords. As new coal seams were intercepted branch levels into the seams were dug and extended as the coals were mined. The branch level along the Four Feet seam itself reached a length of 1.75 miles (2.8 km). Mine shafts were sunk and coal mined ahead of the intended line of the main navigable level, which was continually lengthened for many years reaching a length of 4 miles (6.4 km). In order to ease the congestion resulting from the large number of boats using the level a second entrance tunnel was dug, 500 yards (460 m) long, and a one-way system introduced.