IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Tamar Close, CONGLETON, CW12 3RU

This is at Morris Bridge, No 76. It is a turnover bridge (roving bridge), cunningly designed to allow the horses to cross from one side of the canal to the other without being unhiyched from their boats.

Bridge No 76 across the Macclesfield Canal is a turnover (or roving or snake) bridge which carries the towpath to the other side of the canal. Horses did not need to be unhitched from the boats when using these cunningly designed (and attractive) bridges. See Ray's picture from the other side: Image]

This is Bridge No 76 across the Macclesfield Canal, a former farm accommodation bridge, but now surrounded by housing development. It is also a snake bridge (turnover bridge) which allowed horses to cross from one side of the canal to the other without being unhitched from the boats.

These distinctive bridges allowed the towpath to cross the canal without the horse being unhitched from the narrowboat it was pulling.

Now carrying a footpath over the Macclesfield Canal, Bridge 76 was originally built to allow the horses towing the narrowboats to cross from one side to another without having to release the tow rope (Image). The Macclesfield Canal was one of the last narrow canals to be built and runs approximately 28 miles from Harding's Wood Junction on the Trent and Mersey Canal, along the edge of the western Pennine hills to Marple Junction on the Peak Forest Canal. It was surveyed by Thomas Telford with construction starting in 1826, with William Crosley doing the engineering. The canal opened in November 1831 having cost a total of £320,000.

Looking through the arch of Morris Bridge No 76 across the Macclesfield Canal, there are still two public houses nearby, so visitor moorings are well used despite being in a rather gloomy cutting.

Looking off the railway bridge in Mossley towards Congleton Station.

Now carrying a footpath over the Macclesfield Canal, Bridge 76 was originally designed and built to allow the horses towing the narrowboats to change sides without having to drop the tow- thus saving time. The next bridge, Bridge 77 (Image), is also a cross-over bridge and it is thought that they were constructed to allow through traffic to by-pass Image thus saving them time. The Macclesfield Canal was one of the last narrow canals to be built and runs approximately 28 miles from Harding's Wood Junction on the Trent and Mersey Canal, along the edge of the western Pennine hills to Marple Junction on the Peak Forest Canal. It was surveyed by Thomas Telford with construction starting in 1826, with William Crosley doing the engineering. The canal opened in November 1831 having cost a total of £320,000.

Photographed from the A527,which is over the railway, which is over the Macclesfield Canal with the Cheshire Ring Walk alongside it. Something for everyone.