Rochdale Canal Retaining Wall On South Side Of Redhill Street, West Of Union Street Bridge

The retaining wall on the south side of Redhill Street, west of Union Street Bridge, is part of the Rochdale Canal and dates back to 1804. It was originally used as a tow-path for this section of the canal. The wall is constructed of red brick up to street level and features blocked openings that were once tunnels leading to Murrays Mills. At the top, there is a parapet made of large millstone grit slabs with rounded tops. At the eastern end, near Union Street Bridge, there is a substantial square block that has remnants of iron fittings for a former tow-rope roller. The western end of the wall ends just east of the footbridge in front of the Royal Mill. This structure is part of a group that includes Union Street Bridge and the cotton mills located on the opposite side of Redhill Street.