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( Rochdale Canal)
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in the North of England, part of the connected system of the Canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes. The "Rochdale" is a Broad canal because its bridges and locks are wide enough to allow vessels of 14ft width. The canal runs for 32 miles (51 kilometres) across the Pennines from the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield Basin in Manchester to join the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire. As originally built, the canal had 92 locks. Whilst the traditional lock numbering has been retained on all restored locks, and on all the relocated locks, the canal now has only 91 locks. The former locks 3 & 4 have been replaced with a single deep lock (Tuel Lane Lock), which is numbered as 3/4 The Rochdale Canal was conceived in 1776, when a group of 48 eminent men from Rochdale raised £237 and commissioned James Brindley to conduct a survey of possible routes between Sowerby Bridge and Manchester.[1] He proposed a route similar to that built, and another more expensive route via Bury.[2] Further progress was not made until 1791, when John Rennie was asked to make additional surveys, but the first Act of Parliament was opposed by millers, concerned about water supply,[2] and it was not until 4 April 1794 that an act was obtained which created the Rochdale Canal Company and authorised the construction of the canal,[3] Further acts of parliament were obtained in 1800, 1804 and 1806, the main purpose of which was to raise additional finance.[3] The canal was opened in 1804, but construction work continued for another three years. [2]
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