Visiting Middlewood Locks? Here’s our guide to boating access from Castlefield:Click here to download a pdf version Traveling from Castlefield to Middlewood Locks by boat is a relatively short journey, although it is necessary to book both passage through Pomona Lock and also entrance into Middlewood. From Castlefield head away from Manchester on the Bridgewater […]

May 2025 saw the second Middlewood Locks Fest take place, celebrating the first anniversary of the re-opening to navigation of the Middlewood Locks section of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal. Bigger and better than ever with plenty of sunshine and a positively buzzing crowd made for a fantastic day.  More than 1500 people joined

Salford City Council are consulting on a draft concept plan for the “Islington Linear Park”. This includes the part of the canal route between Middlewood Locks and Upper Wharf Street. The canal society’s response can be found here . The link to the consultation can be found here We would encourage all members to consider

Barry Dingley, Contracts Manager at Watson Homes gave an informative presentation on 12th December 2024 to the MBBCS Community Development event covering: –       Affordable housing, funding, grants and the planning process –       The restoration of the MBB Canal and site history at Creams Mill on Mytham Road –       Sustainability, job opportunities & apprenticeships in construction, environment & social value

An article has appeared on the BBC website about the MB&B canal and its restoration. It’s an excellent piece of press coverage about the canal which raises awareness amongst the public and decision makers. The article can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly47r7977qo

The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society has responded to the various iterations of the proposal by H2O Urban LLP to erect a residential development of 204 residential apartments at Upper Wharf Street in Ordsall, Salford. We first submitted a response to the planning application in December 2023, focusing on a primary message around: Development

Student accommodation developer X1 are proposing to build a 396 bed student residential development following the demolition of existing buildings at Cumberland Garage, Cumberland House, Lissadel Street, Salford.  Cumberland House itself was built on the site of a mid 19th century cotton mill – Bank Mill.  Bank Mill was built next to the Manchester Bolton

On the day before the Middlewood Locks Fest, St Philip’s CE Primary School joined us in welcoming two boats into Middlewood Locks – “Spey” and “Sunny Afternoon” 

MBBCS have worked with Little Lever School to develop a programme of 4 events with external speakers to explore the benefits for the local community of restoring the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal around Little Lever and Radcliffe. These take place in the Library at Little Lever School, Church St, Little Lever, Bolton BL3 1BT from 3.15pm

In the 1960’s Salford’s local canal (the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal), that ran parallel to Upper Wharf Street, was buried under concrete and has remained hidden ever since. Developer H2O Urban has submitted bizarre plans that would see the route of the waterway uncovered and then filled in again so that it can be