Barton Lane Aqueduct Portal

The Barton Lane Aqueduct Portal is a canal aqueduct portal built between 1822 and 1824 for the Bridgewater Canal Company. It was removed and re-erected in 1894 as a commemorative monument.

Constructed from ashlar Sherwood Sandstone, the portal features a single-span bridge portal arch. The design includes a deep segmental arch made of radiating graduated ashlar blocks that spring from skewbacks. This arch is flanked by a pair of battered buttresses, each made up of eight courses of large rusticated vee-jointed blocks. An ovolo moulded cornice supports an ashlar parapet, which has saddle back copings and projecting end piers topped with pyramidal cap stones. Several of the stone blocks display masons' marks, including those on the moulded cornice.

An ashlar tablet attached to the parapet reads: "THIS ARCH/ ORIGINALLY FORMED PART OF THE/ FAMOUS BARTON AQUEDUCT, AND/ SPANNED THIS ROAD AT A POINT/ 15 YARDS EAST OF THIS TABLET/ IT WAS REMOVED TO ALLOW OF/ BARTON LANE BEING WIDENED IN 1893/ AND RE-ERECTED IN ITS PRESENT/ POSITION IN 1894 BY THE/ ECCLES CORPORATION./ MELLOR/ MAYOR." Additionally, a 'red wheel' Transport Trust transport heritage site plaque is affixed to the right-hand buttress.