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MACCLESFIELD CANAL
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The Macclesfield Canal was one of the
last narrow canals to be built, indeed, it was very nearly a railway! The
route takes the canal from Marple Junction with the Peak Forest Canal in the
north 26¼ miles to the stop lock at Hall Green near Kidsgrove passing along
the side of the most westerly Pennine hills through High Lane, Higher Poynton,
Bollington, Macclesfield and Congleton, all in Cheshire, and Kidsgrove in
Staffordshire in the south.
The canal is noted for its fine stone bridges - particularly the six change or snake bridges where the towpath changes sides of the canal. These bridges were designed to allow tow horses to move over without having to untie from the boat. There are impressive stone aqueducts at Bollington and across the River Dane as well as many high level embankments and deep cuttings. At Bollington the River Dean is diverted through a tunnel to avoid piercing the canal embankment - a most unusual feature well worth mooring up to view.
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