1 66 History of Inland Transport 



" History of the Commerce and Town of Liverpool," the 

 turbaries around the town were considered of great value. 

 The Act passed in 1720 for the navigation of the Douglas 

 had allowed of coal from the pits at Wigan being taken down 

 that river to the Ribble estuary, and then along the coast 

 to the Mersey estuary, and so on to Liverpool ; but the 

 advantage which would be offered by a shorter and safer 

 route was obvious, and the Sankey Brook scheme was taken 

 up with much earnestness. 



The original idea, that of making the brook itself capable 

 of being navigated, was found to be impracticable. Not 

 only did the stream wind a great deal, but after heavy 

 rains on the surrounding hills the whole valley through which 

 the brook ran was liable to floods, and these would have 

 effectively stopped navigation so long as they continued. 

 Happily the powers obtained by the promoters included one 

 which allowed of " a side cut " ; and the first plan was 

 abandoned in favour of a canal separate from the brook, 

 though cut parallel with it somewhat higher on the hill- 

 sides, where the floods would be less felt. The canal was to 

 be provided with locks, overcoming the fall of 90 feet in 

 twelve miles to the Mersey, together with a pound, fed by the 

 brook, on the highest level, to ensure an adequate water 

 supply. 



The immediate result of the construction of this pioneer 

 canal was, not only to provide a convenient coal supply for 

 Liverpool, but, also, in conjunction with the earlier rendering 

 of the Weaver navigable, to put the salt industry of Cheshire 

 in direct water communication with the Lancashire coal- 

 fields. These advantages led (i) to a great expansion of the 

 Cheshire salt industry ; (2) to a substantial increase in the 

 export of salt from Liverpool ; and (3) to the ruin of the salt 

 trade of Newcastle-on-Tyne, since, when the makers on the 

 Weaver could readily get an abundance of coal, they, with 

 their great natural stores of brine noted for its superlative 

 quality and strength had a great advantage over the makers 

 on the Tyne, who obtained their salt from the waters of the 

 k, sea. 



It is thus incontestable that the Sankey Brook Canal both 

 started the Canal Era and formed the connecting link be- 

 tween the river improvement schemes of the preceding 100 



