Peak Forest Canal, Navigation canal in Tameside and Stockport, England
Peak Forest Canal is a transport waterway running through the region of Tameside, Stockport, and nearby areas for about 15 kilometers. The waterway is interrupted by 16 locks that allow boats to navigate across varying ground levels.
The waterway was designed in 1794 by engineer Benjamin Outram and opened in stages beginning in 1796. All sections including locks and aqueducts were fully operational by 1800.
The name comes from the moorland landscape of the Peak District nearby. Today, anglers and boat owners use it regularly, keeping alive a piece of local industrial heritage that still shapes how people see this region.
A continuous towpath follows the waterway from Tameside to Stockport with numerous access points along the route. Visitors can explore on foot or by bicycle, though shade is limited on sunny days.
Bugsworth Basin served as a major transfer point for limestone and coal during industrial times and survives as a historic landmark today. This old basin still shows traces of the busy trade that once took place there.
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