The Bridgewater Canal may be 256 years old – but she’s not letting her age get in the way of a good party!
Families and visitors are being invited to help her celebrate her anniversary at the free Bridgewater Weekender on Saturday July 15 and Sunday July 16.
There’s a mix of family fun, entertainment, music, heritage and crafts with a big party on dry land at Duke’s Drive, Monton, beside the canal on Saturday and free canoeing taster sessions on the water on Sunday.
On Saturday, families can enjoy den-building, bug-hunting, natural dyeing with City of Trees or planting with the Royal Horticultural Society.
There’s also a chance to find out more about the family who built the canal with the Duke’s Drive Discovery Trail and the Duke’s Amazing Animals. There will be demonstrations of canal boat art, a chance to have a go at knitting and screen-printing and food and drink on site.
Music will be provided by Arctic Turn, Oh Man, The Mountain, Kora Collective, Magic Beans and bill-toppers Sling, along with performances from Haywood Hix with ‘Works’ – their inventive shed load of ideas for amateur tinkerers and the mysterious Otto the Otter and Teddy the Fox will be wheeling their wooden cart through Duke’s Drive.
Sunday sees free canoeing taster sessions on the canal at Worsley with the Helly Hansen Watersports Centre. Children must be eight years old or over to take part.
The Bridgewater Weekender is part of Est.1761 a project to regenerate and celebrate the Bridgewater Canal in Salford, supported by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Salford City Council and the Bridgewater Canal Company.
The fun runs from 12 noon to 5pm on Saturday at Duke’s Drive, Parrin Lane, Monton and 10am to 4pm on Sunday at the humpback bridge, Worsley.
More details can be found at www.est1761.org/events
