The devastating impact of the collapse of the Bridgewater canal near a small town has been laid bare. One side of the canal embankment imploded near the village of Little Bollington, on the edge of Dunham Massey Park, after a night of heavy rain on Tuesday, December 31.
The location is just a few hundred yards from the popular Swan with Two Nicks pub. Both the canal and the River Bollin are nearby.
Today, January 2, the large surrounding fields of the canal remain under water as a result of the collapse. In the adjacent field, the larger field directly opposite and a pedestrian pathway closer to the pub, each were completely flooded.
Muddy brown water rendered the fields inaccessible and the path between the fields was partially obstructed by standing water, along with thick and icy mud. The section of the canal which had breached the field remained open, with water slowly flowing into the area.
Families and dog walkers who lived nearby walked past in Wellington boots whilst stopping to take pictures. One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It was like this a few years back, you couldn’t even walk down here.
Bridgewater Canal collapse in Little Bollington
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“It’s awful,” he added.
Further down, on Warrington Lane, a car appeared abandoned in some partial flooding, whilst nearby farming fields were also full of standing water.
The canal itself was flowing at a higher level, with a lot of trees covered by the current. Cheshire Police had closed the A56 whilst investigators carried out assessments on the surrounding bridges to make sure it was safe.
Staff from the National Trust were also in attendance, assessing the area and taking pictures.
Daniel Kaye, from Timperley was out walking his dog at around 9am on Wednesday when he came across the scene. He said: “It looked like a bomb had gone off.”
The Bridgewater Canal near Little Bollington today and it was breached when swollen by heavy overnight rain.
“It is part of the canal that runs around Dunham Massey. Either side is banked up and it goes across a small valley. I believe it breached in 1970 as well. When I turned up one side of the embankment had collapsed.
“It looks like a bomb has hit it. As I was walking along the towpath I was thinking the canal does not normally flow like this and the level was a lot lower than normal. Then I could hear running water like a waterfall. I know the River Bollin runs underneath and thought that must be flowing really heavy then.
“Then as I carried on walking I could see how it had come in on itself. Where the steel supports were for the canal groundwork the embankment had just collapsed. I could see a tree had fallen down and the footpath had disappeared.
“The water has flooded all the fields next to it and was stretching to the wall where Dunham Massey Park is. I understand this part of the canal is not part of the Canal and River Trust. I spoke to a guy who was moored up near it and I think it is Peel who owns it.
“When I walked further up the canal they had stop locks and either farmers or canal workers were putting them in to try and stop the flow. As I walked back towards Altrincham the level of the canal had drastically dropped. All the fields were totally flooded.”
Officers remain on the scene as part of the clean up.
In January 2021 Storm Christoph brought exceptionally wet weather to the region causing the Swan with Two Nicks pub to flood.
The canal last burst in 1971, when it was closed for two years for repairs which cost £250,000.