Work has now finished on the project to transform the Grade II Listed Tame Aqueduct which carries the Peak Forest Canal over the River Tame in Ashton-under-Lyne.
£500,000 has been spent restoring the aqueduct which included extensive repairs to the three masonry arches and repointing of the stonework using traditional lime mortar.
Craftsman also had to reconstruct part of the aqueduct parapet after it had been vandalised, recovering many of the original stones from the river below.
Dating back to c1798, the aqueduct was designed by Benjamin Outram one of the country’s most revered civil engineers. The aqueduct is situated at Portland Basin at the junction of the Ashton Canal and Peak Forest Canal and was a key route for the transportation of coal and cotton into Manchester.
Andy Johnson, senior project manager at the Canals and Rivers Trust said: “Repairing this local landmark was a fascinating task. Because the aqueduct is so old and important the Canal & River Trust had specialists onsite giving advice.
“We hope that the work we’ve done will stop it being vandalised in the future to ensure this beautiful aqueduct remains to be enjoyed by the local community and visitors for many years to come. Come and have a look and see what you think.”
