Stalybridge Town Centre
3 - Melbourne Street, Lock 5w, Lock 4w and Caroline Street
Construction of a new canal along the old canal line with new locks and bridges. Work started in late September 1999 and was completed in March 2001.
- Client: Tameside Environmental Services in partnership with British Waterways
- Client (Delta section): Quarmby Construction Co. Ltd.
- Design and Supervision: Tameside Environmental Services
- Contractor: Dew Construction Ltd.
This 800m section runs through the heart of Stalybridge Town Centre and was the largest remaining blockage on the canal. The canal was culverted in the late 1960s and the land released for development.
The restored canal is central to the regeneration of the town and complements other major initiatives both ongoing and planned.
Page 1: Lock 7w, Mottram Road and Tesco
Page 2: Armentieres Square and Lock 6w
This page: Melbourne Street, Lock 5w, Lock 4w and Caroline Street
The former path way between Armentieres Square and Melbourne Street. The restored canal channel now occupies this area. The path will be reinstated by means of a short bridge to one side.
Either side of the pedestrianised Melbourne Street excavations revealed the original bridge and the canal walls. The contractor has removed the bricks and crushed stone used to fill the arch.
By July 2000 work was underway to build new matching stone parapets to Melbourne Street Bridge.
This striking aerial view courtesy of Dew Construction shows the canal restoration westwards from Lock 6w. The new lock structure with its curved towpath retaining wall adjacent to the new Armentieres Square service bridge is in the foreground. Melbourne Street and Back Melbourne Street bridges are in the middle distance. Redevelopment of Armentieres Square has meant that alternative car parking has had to be provided. Temporary car parking off Castle Street is visible in the distance.
Channel construction downstream of Melbourne Street, which bridge provides a grandstand view of the work for shoppers.
A Tameside Council engineer sizes up the precast units to be used for Back Melbourne Street bridge.
The new concrete channel downstream of Back Melbourne Street is taking shape. The curve in the foreground provides a transition from the narrow bridge to the full width canal.
The channel upstream of Lock 5w is nearing completion in this photograph taken in July 2000. In the foreground can be seen the original arched chamber leading to the ground paddle for the lock.
Supplier Callis Mill fits a tail gate to the restored Lock 5w. The downstream approach has been attractively clad in reclaimed stone. Developers' proposals for Longlands Mill in the right background and the waterfront site in the foreground are eagerly awaited.
The original Lock 4w is partially overlain by the forecourt to the adjacent Texaco filling station. In order to avoid undue disturbance to this business, a new Lock 4w will be built slightly to one side and the new Caroline Street bridge will take a somewhat different line from the original demolished structure. Here excavation has commenced on the site of the new Lock 4w. The current navigable limit of Staley Wharf is beyond the road.
This shows the completed excavation with the temporary cofferdam at Lock 4w with the base slab cast. Also visible is the well pointing system which has been installed to dewater the ground and ensure the excavation stays dry during the construction of the lock.
A later picture shows the virtually complete lock structure at Lock 4w. After this picture was taken Caroline Street was closed for a four month period to enable the new bridge to be built to link the Stalybridge section of canal to the rest of the canal system.
The final stage of work in Stalybridge has involved closure of Caroline Street and construction of a new bridge to link the canal back to the restored Staley Wharf. Traffic was diverted via Bailey Street and Bridge Street. This picture shows the large excavation necessary at the tail of Lock 4w to accommodate the tow path ramp leading into the new bridge.
Another view of the Caroline Street bridge cofferdam this time looking towards Staley Wharf. In the right background new industrial units for Peak Tools and the Hyde Group are bringing new jobs to the town.
The first pre-cast concrete box units in place for Caroline Street bridge. The castellated wall to the right is adjacent to the Wharf Tavern.
The view from Staly Wharf towards the completed Caroline Street bridge in February 2001.
May 28th. Allan Knott pilots the Canal Society's Water Taxi amid the boats at the Stalybridge Renaissance festival - celebrating a rejuvenated town centre and its restored canal.
