£1.3m restoration scheme in partnership with Salford City Council to restore Worsley Delph. The project is supported by the HLF and will enable this Scheduled Ancient Monument to be enjoyed by a wide range of users.
The Bridgewater Canal was the first commercial system to be developed in Britain, transporting coal from Worsley to the factories in neighbouring Manchester. The Delph was the terminus for the 47 miles of canals which linked to the coal faces. The site forms part of the wider Bridgewater Canal Corridor, which is being developed for access, employment and leisure.
Central to the project is to address the historic legacy of iron ochre pollution from the underground canals and associated workings. This will complete the remediation work which has already taken place, including the establishment of a reedbed, which treats the minewater discharge and returns clean water to the Bridgewater Canal.
The scheme was subject to a robust consultation process and three concept options were presented at a series of public workshops and individual meetings. A formal appraisal process was undertaken and a final design developed to RIBA Stage D.
The commission included the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment, which paid particular attention to the historic and ecological resource of the site.
