Cosgrove aqueduct, Navigable aqueduct in Cosgrove, England.
Cosgrove Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct made of cast iron and brick that carries the Grand Junction Canal across the River Great Ouse near the village of Cosgrove in Northamptonshire. The water is held in an open iron trough resting on a frame with diagonal bracing, and a towpath runs alongside the channel for the full length of the crossing.
An earlier brick aqueduct at this crossing collapsed in 1808, halting traffic on the canal and setting off a dispute between the contractor and the canal company. The iron replacement was completed shortly after and restored the route to use.
The iron trough is narrow enough that passing boats look as if they are floating in midair above the river below. Walkers on the towpath beside the channel get a clear view of the river running underneath, which makes the crossing feel unlike anything on a typical canal route.
The aqueduct sits right on the towpath and can be reached on foot from Cosgrove village without any special equipment or preparation. The walkway alongside the iron trough is open and unobstructed, so the view down to the river is clear from several points along the way.
The cast iron parts were made at Ketley Iron Works and then shipped to the site by canal, meaning the waterway carried the very material used to rebuild it. This made the delivery route and the construction project one and the same.
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