Monument record 7173 - The Bridgewater Canal - Stretford to Runcorn

<1> Ashmore, O, 1982, The Industrial Archaeology of North West England, p.20 (Book). SCH3181.

The Bridgewater canal was built between 1759 and 1761 to link the Duke of Bridgewaters Collieries at Worsley to Manchester.

<2> Ashmore, O, 1982, The Industrial Archaeology of North West England, p.58 (Book). SCH3181.

The Bridgewater canal line from Stretford through North Cheshire was opened in 1776 which lead to the development of the Bridgewater Docks at Runcorn.

<3> Allen Archaeological Associates, 2023, Archaeological Watching Brief Report: Hankey Street Footbridge, Hankey Street, Dukesfield, Runcorn, Cheshire, R4792 (Client Report). SCH9662.

A programme of archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken between July and October 2022 at Hankey Street, Runcorn, as a condition of planning consent for a road improvement scheme. The watching brief at Hankey Street was undertaken in three distinct phases, comprising the installation of a storm drain run, a series of test slots, and the installation of an attenuation tank. The excavations exposed a number of levelling deposits associated with the infilling of the Bridgewater Canal in the 1960s. Primarily the levelling and made ground deposits were located in and around the remains of the old canal walls, which largely remain intact beneath the modern ground level. There is evidence that additions were made to the original canal walls, most likely for repair, but it is unclear what date these additions were made. In addition to the canal walls, a culvert and a part of a towpath associated with the canal were also identified during monitoring works.