Little Lever canal destroyed in 1936 collapse close to being restored

Part of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal near Little Lever was breached in July 1936.

Millions of gallons of water from the channel came cascading down into the River Irwell below.

The gigantic breach happened close to the Nob End locks, on the canal’s arm towards Bury, with the affected section never restored.

But work done by Watson Homes, who are building a new 255 home estate alongside the affected waterway at the former Creams Mill site in Little Lever, is set to change that.

Watson has been restoring a 800 metre section of the waterway as part of the planning permission.

The extensive work means the section of canal is set to be ‘in water’ by May 2027.

The 1936 canal breach at Little Lever (Image: John and Margaret Fletcher Collection)

The new section of waterway will also create a destination for visitors as a new café is planned alongside a canoe and kayaking school.

At the point of the canal collapse, a bend of the River Irwell had eroded the valley side, creating a steep slope.

Remarkably no one was injured, but the massive structural failure led to the decline of the canal, with now attempts to repair it, until now.

The project is being supported by other groups including Inland Waterways Association and The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society.

Work is progressing on the bullnose at Nob End, Little Lever (Image: Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society)

The canal society has commissioned a feasibility study with Bolton and Bury councils and the Canal & River Trust to investigate reopening the canal to navigation from Little Lever to Bury and has also been instrumental in other improvement projects along the length of the canal.

The society’s vision is to progressively restore the canal to fully navigable condition, and in doing so create ‘blue-green spaces that aid wellbeing and environmental improvement’.

Mike Watson is a director at developers Watson.

He described the waterway project as the ‘centrepiece of the development taking place at Creams Mill’ and ‘a technically challenging but incredibly rewarding project’.

The project will also introduce a new towpath and pedestrian routes as well as a new stretch of waterway.

Mr Watson gave an update of when people will be able to see the section ‘in water’ for the first time in 90 years.

He said: “We’re working towards a date roughly around the end of May for starting to put water back into the canal but we’re exploring opportunities to kind of bring that in slightly ahead of that by utilising temporary bunds and filling up some sections as we go.

“We’re starting to pick up pace now and we can start getting the lining down.

“We’re building everything to adoptable standards from the Canals and Rivers Trust, doing all the connection agreements and licences and dealing closely with them.”

Mr Watson also gave an update on the new café and canoe school, which have already been granted planning permission.

He said: “We’ve got the café and the canoe school going along the side of the waterway.

“They will be located just as you go under the bridge between the two development parcels. “We’re working on the finalised designs at the moment.

“So we’re hoping that that will all be up and running to coincide with the water date.

“So as we fully open up that area, we’ve got a full recreational facility there.”