Bridgewater Canal, Manchester
The Bridgewater Canal was one of the first in England, the first stretch from Worsley to Manchester opening in 1761. Its construction inspired canal building across the country, and the flow of coal into Manchester kick-started the industrial revolution. It later extended west to Leigh, where it meets the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, and also to Runcorn. On a bright, windless day in October, I got off the train at Deansgate Station, and took a tram two stops to Pomono. From there I walked the last couple of miles of the canal into Manchester. Pomono station is at the west end of Pomona Island, a long sliver of land between the Ship Canal on the north and the Bridgewater Canal on the south. For a time it was home to Royal Pomona Palace, taking its name from the Roman goddess of fruit trees. This was a place of entertainment, and there were pavilions and botanical gardens. However, it was surrounded by industrial sites, one of which exploded in 1887, causing significant damage from which it di