424 MACCLESFIELD CANAL. PART VIII. 



ley, along the whole extent of the " Black country," was 

 reduced from twenty-two to fourteen miles. At the same 

 time the obsolete curvatures in Brindley's old canal were 

 converted into separate branches or basins, for the accom- 

 modation of the numerous mines and manufactories on 

 either side of the main line. In consequence of the alter- 

 ations which had been made in the canal, it was found 

 necessary to construct numerous large bridges. One of 

 these a cast iron bridge, at Gal ton, of 150 feet span 



Scale oft....,;? 



GALTON BRIDGE, BIRMINGHAM CANAL. 



has been much admired for its elegance, lightness, 

 and economy of material. Several others of cast iron 

 were constructed at different points, and at one place 

 the canal itself is carried along on an aqueduct of the 

 same material as at Pont - Cysylltau. The whole of 

 these extensive improvements were carried out in the 

 short space of two years ; and the result was highly 

 satisfactory, " proving," as Mr. Telford himself observes, 

 " that where business is extensive, liberal expenditure of 

 this kind is true economy." 



In 1825 Mr. Telford was called upon to lay out a canal 

 to connect the Grand Trunk, at the north end of Hare- 

 castle Tunnel, with the rapidly improving towns of Con- 

 gleton and Macclesfield. The line was twenty-nine miles 

 in length, ten miles on one level from Harecastle to 

 beyond Congleton; then, ascending 114 feet by eleven 

 locks, it proceeded for five miles on a level past Mac- 

 clesfield, and onward to join the Peak Forest Canal 

 at Marple. The navigation was thus conducted upon 



