Barton Swing Aqueduct, Greater Manchester
A view of an empty barge travelling through the Barton Swing Aqueduct. It carries the Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester Ship Canal below, avoiding the use of locks. It opened in 1893. It replaced James Brindley's 1761 stone aqueduct which was built to cross what was, at that time, the Mersey and the Irwell Navigation. The swing aqueduct's trough is pivoted on rollers and turned by hydraulic power to allow the passage of ships. It is controlled from the same canal control tower which operates the Barton Swing Bridge. The trough is 71.6 metres long by 7.3 metres wide with the total wight of the trough of water and superstructure being 1,450 tons.
