Brindleys Weir

Brindleys Weir is a culvert basin and drain sump built in the mid-18th century, with later alterations. It is attributed to the canal engineer James Brindley and was designed to allow the Corn Brook to flow under the Bridgewater Canal. The structure features a pear-shaped basin that is approximately 25 metres long, bordered on the west by the canal and on the east by the embankment wall of the Cornbrook railway junction. The basin is enclosed by walls made of regularly coursed and massive squared sandstone. Inside, the basin is lined with large sandstone setts, laid in courses, and has a deep channel around its perimeter to the north, east, and south.

At the center of the basin is a circular drain sump, about 5 metres in diameter, which is now surrounded by 20th-century railings. The brook enters the basin at the north-east corner and flows into the drain through a deep channel that is well below the level of the setts and the chamfered ashlar rim of the drain. During heavy rainfall, the basin can hold large volumes of water and, thanks to its sturdy floor and enclosure walls, prevents the scouring of the canal embankment. The brook is carried in a culvert situated well below the canal and returns to its natural channel beyond the canal to the west. This basin and drain sump are significant examples of ancillary canal engineering linked to one of the key figures of the canal era.