Peak Forest Canal, Manchester Road Canal Bridge

The Manchester Road Canal Bridge, part of the Peak Forest Canal, is a roving bridge and road bridge built in 1804, with widenings on both sides occurring in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is constructed from snecked, rock-faced and hammer-dressed stone, brick, cast iron, and concrete. The original elliptical-arch tunnel, designed for stop planks, was expanded to the north in the mid-19th century with a truncated elliptical keystone arch, which is now partly hidden by a 20th-century footpath bridge. The southern side was later widened in the 19th century using brick and is separated from the tow-path bridge by two pipelines. The tow-path bridge features a spiral walkway, panelled cast iron parapet walls, and a flat stone slab deck. The historical significance of the bridge lies in its evolutionary development over time.