Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal, Nob End

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 14 Nov 2010

In 1936, a short way east of the Nob End locks, the towpath was swept away when the canal was breached; the path now has to descend into the canal bed to skirt the breach. At this point, a bend of the River Irwell has eroded the valley side into a steep slope. The canal wound round the hillside, over 100 feet above the valley floor. It was supported by massive brick retaining walls, mostly constructed in the 1890s, with a sheer drop from the towpath. The breach occurred on 6th July 1936, and water pressure carried away 20 yards of towpath and canal wall, depositing them in the valley below. When the breach happened, it was so sudden that it swept two boats down into the river below and quickly drained the canal of all its water. (http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/collections/local-history/archivesimages02/1940loc?term=photograph&s_tags=&sort_by=Title&item_number=393&b_start:int=0 and http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/collections/local-history/archivesimages02/1941loc?term=photograph&s_tags=&sort_by=Title&item_number=394&b_start:int=0 contemporary photographs in Bolton Museum archives http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/mbb/mbbc30.htm another contemporary photograph from the John and Margaret Fletcher Collection) The breach was not repaired because there wasn’t any through traffic, and the whole area has since become overgrown with trees.

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