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Ordnance survey maps showing the development of the Edge Lane site beside the Bridgewater Canal.
By the time this map was made in 1894, the canal is no longer referred to as 'the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal', but is now the Bridgewater Canal. Cranes beside the canal, and the development of canalside buildings are evident as well as the increase in railway activity. The Bridgewater wharf is visible.
This is the 1848 Ordnance Survey map of Stretford.
The canal was built initially as far as Longford Bridge where there was a boat basin. There is no development of the Bridgewater Wharf at Stretford, although there is already a railway depot in place.
Advertisements from 'The Bridgewater Canal Bi-Centenary Handbook' published in the 1960's. ( a copy of this book is held in the Cadishead Public Library)
By 1912 the canal wharf has gone on this map and there are two sheds in evidence in what is now the boatyard. The cinema details may have been added onto the map at some later date.
Before the construction of the railway goods yard. Opposite the Bridgewater Wharf and towpath bridge crossing over the entrance to the wharf (Map in Sale Local Studies Library- uncatalogued)
The railway sidings and goods shed- evidence of a transhipment point between the railway and canal? The land round the wharf and on the south side of the bridge coloured in pink indicating perhaps that this land related to the canal, whereas the Stretford Boatyard is the same colour as the railway.( Sale Local Studies Library)
Advert from the Kelly's Manchester Directory for Manchester, Salford and Stretford 1961. p.1321. (Sale Local Studies Library)
Chronology of the development of the Stretford Boatyard, Bridgewater Canal.
1759 1st Bridgewater Act.
1760 2nd Bridgewater Act to allow for new route across Irwell
1762 3rd Bridgewater Act. Stretford to Hempstones.
1767 Extension of canal from Stretford to Runcorn completed
1769 Passenger service started, waiting rooms and ticket office built at Castlefield. Worsley to Manchester (2.30 hrs.), fare 1 shilling, 6 p. Steerage.
1773 Passenger service begun between Warrington and Manchester.
1794 Work Begun on Rochdale Canal by William Jessop.
1795 Manchester to Liverpool 8 am- 4.30pm at Runcorn.
1838 Overflow built at Caslefield.
1845 Mersey and Irwell Navigation merged into the Bridgewater Undertaking.
1849 Railway opened at Stretord.
1850 Fare from Patricroft to Manchester , one penny.
1863 St. Annes Roman Catholic Church Built, designed by Pugin.
1872 Bridgewater Trust sells the Navigation to Bridgewater Navigation Company. (The Bridgewater Trust established after the duke was originally three trustees and functioned for 100 years till 1903.)
1874 Bridgewater Navigation Company Limited formed by The Midland, Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Companies. Who purchase both canal undertakings (Bridgewater and Mersey and Irwell) for £1,120,000. in 1876.
1878 ‘Town Hall’ Stretford built by John Rylands.
1885 1st Manchester Ship Canal Act.
1885 Canal sold to Manchester Ship Canal Company who paid the Bridgewater Navig Co. £1,710,000 for whole of their properties.
1894 Barton Swing Bridge.
1898 Listed in the Directory of Stretford, Fred Hulme, Albert Coleman, Wigan Coal and Iron Company as Coal Merchants on Edge Lane.
Fellowes, Morton and Clayton ltd. Carriers and Boat Builders.
1901 Stretford Boat Buiding Co. listed in Slater's directory(south side of Edge Lane), Stretford Boatyard then Coalyard. Inman's fencing contractors (Rustic Works) also on south side.
1910 'Earl of Ellemere Bridgewater Collieries' (Bridgewater Wharf) and Wigan Coal and Iron Co. (Stretford Boatyard)
1923 New company formed, Bridgewater Estates Ltd. to acquire Ellesmere estates.
1932 T.Wells moved to Stretford from Wigan
1933 Rathbones sold to Thomas and William Wells, owners of barges carrying 3,000 tons of coal a week to Barton Power Station and grain and coal to Kelloggs. After the 1945 decline made lifeboats and 16ft. skiffs. Two of the barges built at Stretford end up as Restaurants on the Rochdale Canal.
1936 The New Longford Cinema (Essoldo) opened on the site of the Bridgewater Wharf
1938 Lister JP2 engine in Shellfen
1939 Shellfen registered at Lloyds
1939 There were 41 people employed by Wells (Stretford Journal September 16th 1976 p.6 col3)John Richardson began work in 1933 and retired in 1988.
1959 Advert in Kelly's Directory for Stretford Boatyard.
1974Stretford becomes part of Trafford. 'the cessation in 1974 of commercial barging on the Bridgewater canal ended the link between Bridgewater activities at Manchester and Runcorn.' Bridgewater Department reorganised into the canal and Bridgewater Transport Services based in Castlefield.(Bridgewater Centenary Handbook 1961)
1974 Shellfen sold by Appleyard Lincoln & Co. for £1,350 to Lorenz Bros.
1976 Trafford Planning Committee approve a report by management team for future use of land from Christie Road to Edge Lane (Stretford and Urmston Journal March 3rd 1976) 3 main sites A. site to be developed into mixed industrial and Marina, because of existing slipways and dry dock.
The marina was in order to fulfil a GMC scheme to transport 1,750,000 tons of waste for processing in Wigan.
Bibliography
1. Masterson,Vicki, Cliff, Karen. 2002 'Stretford : An Illustrated History.' Derby, Breedon Books
2. Stretford Local History Society.1986? 'Stretford; The Changing Scene 1945-1974.' Chamberlain Publishing Ltd.
3. Manchester Ship Canal company. 1961 'The Bridgewater Canal Bi-Centenary Handbook'. Pyramid Press Ltd. Streatham Hill, London SW2
4. Paget- Tomlinson, Edward. 1973 'Mersey and Weaver Flats: The sailing River and Canal Flats of the North West of England' Robert Wilson Publication (4th book in series covering all aspects of boating on inland waterways)
5. Massey, Samuel. 1976. 'A History of Stretford' John Sherratt and Son Ltd., Altrincham.
6. www.longfordcinema.co.uk ( a website about the cinema with links to other sites concerned with the rescue of this listed building.)
Extract from: "The Shell Book of Inland Waterways" by Hugh McKnight. (first published 1975)
'Boatyards vary greatly in their appearance: a tidy well-maintained establishment where the staff seem genuinely interested in catering for your needs obviously deserves to succeed, whereas a scruffy group of corrugated iron buildings and collection of shabby boats tells its own story. Or so you would think. On the canals this is not always true, especially in traditional yards that have invaluable skills centred on building or repairing ex-working boats. If the firm specialises in refitting or converting narrow boats, you will expect to see rusting hulks awaiting their beauty treatment.' p.174.
transport archive.org.uk T1652.(Click on Picture for link to archive)
Horse drawn Bridgewater barge with holiday makers passing in front of the Watch House, Stretford during Whit Week , 1910.
extract from :'A History of Stretford' by S.Massey published by John Sherratt and Son Ltd, Altrincham in 1976.
'At one period there was considerable boat-building in the district. These were barges plying on the Bridgewater Canal. The oldest was Henry Rathbone & Son, with a yard on the canal bank off Edge Lane. Another Rathbone firm (proprietor a cousin of the former) commenced business at a yard constructed near Longford Bridge. About the year 1900 another firm, Fellowes, Morton & Clayton, commenced business on the railway station side of Edge Lane Bridge, but after few years this business closed down.
Inman's Rustic Works were on the Canal side, Edge Lane, adjacent to the first-named Rathbone's Yard.' (p.61)
Massey positions the oldest of the two Rathbone's yards alongside the canal, adjacent to Inman's Rustic Works, the Fellowes Morton & Clayton yard, on the 'railway station side' of Edge Lane. The site of today's Stretford Boatyard.
