Worsley

Worsley was formerly a small village of cottage industries which was transformed by the opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1761. Lord Francis Egerton, the third Duke of Bridgewater, was seeking a reliable way of transporting coal from his mines at Worsley Delph into Manchester and in 1759 gained the consent of Parliament to begin building his canal, the world's first commercial canal.

The opening of the canal in 1761 transformed the fortunes of Salford and lit the fires that sparked the Industrial Revolution in the world's first industrialised nation. Today, Worsley Village is a Conservation Area and is home to 18 listed buildings and structures, including the Packet House, Worsley Court House and a Scheduled Ancient Monument at Worsley Delph.

Worsley Green, formerly the site of the Worsley works yard, was beautified in the early 20th century and mock tudor houses built which gives the area a picturesque feel. To the north of Worsley Delph lies Worsley Woods, set in 30 hectares of countryside and containing Old Warke Dam, built around 1760 to provide a head of water for the Bridgewater Canal and later to power down-stream flour mills. The woods provide a tranquil weekend retreat from the urban jungle.

Proposals for Worsley

The fascinating heritage of Worsley Delph is the star attraction of the village and people want to get in and explore it. At the moment this isn't possible, but we aim to change this by:

Removing silt and material from the basin to allow access for boats.
Improving the environment by landscaping the area.
Building a new swing bridge to give pedestrians access to the Delph Working with the community and visitors to tell the amazing story in a variety of ways. This could include, lighting, sounds, information panels, artwork, decorative railings.

In addition, hidden in the arch of the Worsley Road bridge are a number of workshops used by canal workers. These workshops would have housed various trades associated with the mills and mines of the area, we aim to open one of these spaces up, to allow visitors to get a real feel for what it was like to be a worker in the industrial revolution.

Long-term the aspiration is to open up a section of the underground tunnels as a culmination to boat trips on the canal to create a major visitor destination.

As well as Worsley Delph, we also have ambitions for the rest of the area, these include:

Extending the open water at Old Warke Dam and installing a viewing area.
Environmental Improvements to Worsley Woods, including fixing the paths and improving the bridge.
Bringing to life the mining and industrial history of the area through trails, info points, art, events and activities.
Improvements to visitor facilities so people know how to get there, where to go and what to do.

You can download the masterplan for Worsley along with the plans for Worsley Delph and Old Warke Dam at the bottom of the page.

If you want to get involved in improving your local area, opportunities exist to undertake environmental improvements, clean-ups and heritage improvement schemes. Why not get involved and complete our online form.