Wharf and crane at East Lancashire Chemical Works, Droylsden. This was just west of Copperas Lane swing bridge. Just off to the left was a private footbridge linking to another part of the site on the other side of the canal.
Photo: John Smith
Lock 17 looking towards Cooperas Lane swing bridge. The tail gates are in a sorry state.
Photo: John Smith
Looking towards Lock 18. Jamaica Bridge, known to locals as 'The Camel's Hump', was built in 1838 to give boat horses access to the towpath of the Hollinwood Branch after Locks 18 (along with Locks 1 and 17) had been doubled to help with increasing boat traffic. As traffic later dropped away the original lock chamber, furthest from the towpath, was taken out of use.
Photo: John Smith
Lock 18.
Photo: John Smith
Access from the bridge to the lock side at Lock 18 had been blocked off.
Photo: John Smith
Looking east from Fairfield Road Bridge, Droylsden.
Photo: John Smith
Dukinfield Aqueduct (or Tame Aqueduct) across the River Tame adjacent to Portland Basin. Historically a part of the Ashton Canal, which it links to the Peak Forest Canal.
Photo: John Smith
The following photos are from a cleaning-up working party on the Ashton Canal on the first weekend of February 1968.
More than 40 volunteers came on each day and around 20 tons of rubbish was pulled from the pound between Locks 17 and 18.
This was a fore-runner of 'Operation Ashton' that saw over 600 volunteers from around the country coming to take part in a mammoth clean-up in September 1968.
Some of the clean-up volunteers working near Lock 18. Three volunteers slept overnight in the tent to deter night-time visitors from throwing rubbish back in!
Photo: John Smith
Being February, the weather was not kind to the hardy volunteers.
Photo: John Smith
Volunteers below Lock 18.
Photo: John Smith
Looking towards Lock 17 during the February 1968 clean-up.
Photo: John Smith
Volunteers' cars parked on what was then spare land between Lock 18 and Fairfield Road. Behind the group of figures, a lone figure can be seen standing on the 'Camel's Hump' footbridge next to the lock.
Photo: John Smith
With the collection of photos of the Ashton Canal came this photo of a canal boat rally on the Rochdale Canal above Lock 92. There were a number of such rallies so the date of this one is uncertain. Suggestions welcome.
Photo: John Smith
Another photo in the collection shows Woodley Tunnel on the Peak Forest Canal.
Photo: John Smith
This photo looks towards Manchester from Throstle Nest Bridge on the Bridgewater Canal, with the River Irwell on the left.
Photo: John Smith
