Barton Swing Aqueduct (SJ767976)

Probably the most famous feature of the Manchester Ship Canal, this carries the Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester Ship Canal. It replaced Brindley's equally famous 183 m. (600 ft.) long stone aqueduct of 1761. Remains of the embankment for this can still be seen along side the embankment built for the Barton Swing Aqueduct.

Builder :	A. Handyside & Co., Derby
Swung Weight :	1450 tonnes (including 800 tonnes water)
Length :	71.5 m. (235 ft.)
Width :	5.5 m. (18 ft.)
Depth :	2.1 m. (7 ft.)
Water Depth :	1.8m. (6 ft.)
Opened :	21 August 1893

The tank is pivoted on 64 cast iron rollers. As designed an hydraulic press took 900 tonnes of the weight before the aqueduct was turned. This is no longer done. It takes about 2 minutes to turn the aqueduct. Since the tank is swung full of water it is sealed at the ends with hydraulically operated gates. The ends of the Bridgewater Canal are sealed in a similar manner. When open to the Bridgewater Canal the small gaps between the tank and the banks are sealed by hydraulically raised u-shaped wedges weighing 12 tonnes each. There was originally a towpath across the tank 2.7 m. (9 ft.) above the water level but this has now been removed.

A simple iron trough aqueduct carries the Bridgewater Canal across Barton Lane to the north of the Barton Swing Aqueduct. This is a frequent source of traffic problems because of its low clearance. Inset into a retaining wall on Barton Lane is an arch which may be an original arch from Brindley's 1761 aqueduct or an arch from the smaller aqueduct across Barton Lane.

Barton Swing Aqueduct in 1987