The extraordinary story of the Manchester Ship Canal
ROCHDALE Antiques Society continue their series of wide-ranging and thoroughly engaging talks with guest speaker, Judith Atkinson, who will be sharing her unique insight into the construction of the Big Ditch - otherwise known as the Manchester Ship Canal; an iconic engineering feat of the Victorian Era.
Opened in 1894 by Queen Victoria, at the time the canal was the longest river navigation in the world.
Costing over £15 million to build, it transformed Manchester from an inland city into a major port. Construction of the Big Ditch had started in 1887; a huge undertaking requiring innovation and ingenuity, at one point over 16,000 workers were employed.
Villages had to be located along the canal to accommodate these workers and their families.
Three hospitals tended to the workers and had to cope with outbreaks of small-pox and diphtheria.
Building the canal proved to be highly dangerous work with 130 fatalities and 3,000 major accidents.
Judith Atkinson, a retired engineer, industrial historian and writer is much in demand for her entertaining and informative talks.
She will be using images from unique Victorian glass photographic slides found in a garden shed, which were produced at the time the canal was built.
The slides show the logistical detail and engineering marvels involved in building the canal: these include the construction of the Barton swing aqueduct, and the use of 180 steam locomotives and 6,000 wagons to remove the spoil.
These slides also show evocative images of the men who built the canal.
The Big Ditch: the building of the Manchester Ship Canal from Victo- rian glass slides with Judith Atkinson will be showing on Wednesday, January 9, 2019, at 7.30pm, at St Vincent’s Community Centre, Caldershaw Road, off Edenfield Road, Rochdale, OL12 7QL.
The price for visitors is £5.
By joining Rochdale Antiques Society, members may attend all standard talks and meetings.
Membership fees are based on the cost of running the society.
The membership fee for the 2017-18 season was set at £27.50.
If you wish to join as a member then please contact the secretary on 01706 844026 or attend one of their meetings.