Your chance to celebrate the historic legacy that is the Bridgewater canal this weekend as Salford celebrates its waterways.
The Bridgewater Weekender takes place on Saturday and Sunday with a host of events to celebrate the forthcoming transformation of the historic canal.
On Saturday at 1.30pm, it will see a flotilla of boats set off from Barton to make their way to a free family picnic on Worsley Green where crowds will be entertained with outdoor live music, street theatre and children’s activities.
At 11.00am, there is a Worsley to Manchester City Centre cruise following the same route that thousands of boats have taken to carry coal from Worsley to Manchester during the height of its use. Tickets cost £10 and must be booked in advance online.
Between 2.00pm to 4.00pm you can retrace the journey of Queen Victoria’s journey of 1851 with a Heritage Walk from Patricroft Station to Worsley New Hall. Tickets cost £7 and can be booked in advance online or pay on the day.
And on Sunday from 2pm, a music festival and picnic at Duke’s Drive Country Park will see live music from local artists Aidan Smith, Chloe Foy, The Literature Thieves and Songs for Walter. Children’s activities will include a heritage trail, butterfly and dragon fly making, woodland art, badge making, mini-beast hunting and a ‘Roses and Castles’ painting and planting workshop.
The celebration weekend is being held because to mark the Heritage Lottery Fund giving a £3.6million grant to regenerate nearly five miles of canal between Boothstown and Barton.
It will be transformed with new towpaths, information panels, rejuvenated parks, events and celebrations. Worsley Delph and Barton Aqueduct will be reopened and unveiled to the public for the first time in years.
The planned regeneration is expected to boost visitor numbers, adding an extra £2million each year to the city’s economy when finished.
A free Bridgewater Canal iPhone app written by Salford residents can be downloaded by anybody interested in the historic waterway.
Canal visitors making their way from Boothstown to Barton can use the app to look out for landmarks, buildings and animals. Features also include historic images of the canal, interesting facts and memories from local people.
As part of the Bridgewater Canal 250th anniversary, The Friends of Salford Museum and Art Gallery have written the app with help from Salford City Council and Salford Community Leisure. It’s been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Download the Bridgewater app from the iTunes App Store.
