Editing Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal (section)

== Current status ==
[[File:Mbb canal agecroft bridge after clearance.jpg|thumb|right|The canal north of Agecroft Road, in water at this point. The towpath here was cleared of overgrowth in 2007.]]
[[File:1936 canal breach aerial view 2018.jpg|thumb|right|An aerial view of the 1936 breach at Nob End, 2018]]

Almost 60% of the canal's original length is no longer in water. Bury Wharf is now covered by an industrial estate. A car park has been built on top of the canal, near [[Daisyfield Viaduct]], but from there on the towpath remains accessible.<ref name="buryunitary"/> The canal, in water but overgrown with weeds, is culverted under Water Street in [[Radcliffe, Greater Manchester|Radcliffe]]. It continues in water up to a dam at Ladyshore, following which the foundations of a demolished paper mill, built in 1956, may be found.<ref name="Lyddon 1975 p=127"/>

The 1936 breach was never repaired and presents a significant gap in the canal's route. On the Salford arm, although in good condition, the top three locks at [[Prestolee]] are derelict; the bottom three have been removed. The canal is in water from the bottom of the lock flight through to Ringley Locks. Ringley Bridge is infilled, as is the canal through Ringley Village and Giants Seat Locks. Kilcoby Bridge is missing and from there the canal is inaccessible until it reaches the [[M60 motorway]]. Overgrown, Rhodes Lock is still in reasonable condition. One or more [[electricity pylon]]s straddle the infilled canal between Rhodes Lock and the motorway, which has been built over the line of the canal. A [[Sewage treatment|sludge lagoon]] built during the motorway's construction blocks a short section toward Clifton Aqueduct. The canal does not take water again until beyond Clifton Aqueduct, where a short {{convert|900|ft|m|adj=on}} length exists between the former [[Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles|Pilkington]] factory and the [[Enersys]] factory.<ref>{{Harvnb|Edwards|2007|p=161.}}</ref> Lumn's Lane Aqueduct is missing but the canal is in water between there and Holland Street. Beyond this point the canal is infilled and in parts built over, especially through Pendleton. Its junction with the River Irwell in Salford has recently been restored and made navigable.

The Bolton arm of the canal is interrupted by the absence of Hall Lane Aqueduct at Little Lever, which was demolished in 1950 to make way for the widening of Hall Lane.<ref>{{Citation|title=Farnworth/Moses Gate&nbsp;— ben200525671.jpg |publisher=The Bolton News |url=http://boltonnews.newsprints.co.uk/view/2014396/ben200525671_jpg |access-date=13 June 2016 }}</ref> In Darcy Lever, Damside Aqueduct, which crossed Radcliffe Road and the Tonge River, is also missing, having been demolished in June 1965. The route of [[A666 road|St Peter's Way]] has almost entirely destroyed a significant section of the canal as it heads into the centre of Bolton<ref>{{Citation | title = The Bolton Arm | url = http://www.mbbcs.org.uk/canal/bolton.htm | publisher = Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society | access-date = 1 July 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080414204344/http://www.mbbcs.org.uk/canal/bolton.htm | archive-date = 14 April 2008 }}</ref> and Church Wharf no longer exists. The last section of the Bolton arm of the canal still in water is currently used for fishing.<ref>{{Citation | title=Bolton Canal | url=http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/fishing/fisheries/5832/bolton-canal | publisher = www.waterscape.com | access-date=10 August 2008 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20080706165257/http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/fishing/fisheries/5832/bolton-canal <!--Added by H3llBot--> | archive-date=6 July 2008}}</ref>

The entire route of the canal is protected from any adverse development that would prevent its restoration, having been included in the [[unitary development plan]]s of [[City of Salford#Council|Salford City Council]],<ref name="salfordunitary">{{Citation|title=City of Salford Unitary Development Plan 2004–2016 |publisher=Salford City Council |url=https://www.salford.gov.uk/planning-building-and-regeneration/planning-policies/local-planning-policy/salfords-development-plan/saved-unitary-development-plan-policies/ |access-date=26 April 2021 | page = 106}}</ref> [[Bolton#Governance|Bolton Council]]<ref name="Boltonunitary">{{Citation | title = Unitary Development plan for Bolton | publisher = Bolton Council | date = April 2005 | url = http://www.bolton.gov.uk/pls/portal92/docs/PAGE/ENVIRONMENT_DEPARTMENT/PLANNING_DIVISION/POLICY_AND_TRANSPORT_PLANNING/UNITARY%20DEVELOPMENT%20PLAN/TAB80245/WEBWRITTEN.PDF | access-date = 27 June 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070227213336/http://www.bolton.gov.uk/pls/portal92/docs/PAGE/ENVIRONMENT_DEPARTMENT/PLANNING_DIVISION/POLICY_AND_TRANSPORT_PLANNING/UNITARY%20DEVELOPMENT%20PLAN/TAB80245/WEBWRITTEN.PDF |archive-date = 27 February 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Metropolitan Borough of Bury|Bury Council]].<ref name="buryunitary">{{Citation | title = Restoring the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal&nbsp;– Initial Policy and Land Acquisition Issues | publisher = Bury Council | date = 12 February 2003 | url = http://burydem.bury.gov.uk/aksbury/images/att395.doc | format = DOC | access-date = 27 June 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081002002841/http://burydem.bury.gov.uk/aksbury/images/att395.doc | archive-date = 2 October 2008 }}</ref>