After walking along the upper section of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal three weeks ago the continuing good weather prompted me to take a walk along part of the lower section just one week later. Parking on a residential lane close to the upper canal at Little Lever my walk started at the Meccano Bridge where a wide path took me downhill past what had once been the six staircase locks which joined the two sections of canal. The lower three locks had been filled in sometime in the 1950s but the upper three had still just about been visible and in 2015/16 the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society completely excavated the whole flight of six, although nature is now starting to take over again at the lower end.

At the bottom of the locks was the lower canal basin which narrowed into the 185ft long Prestolee Aqueduct crossing over the River Irwell below. The canal was clear for quite a distance before becoming overgrown with reeds for a couple of hundred yards, then as it started to become clear again I spotted a moorhen having what looked like a very enjoyable bathing session.
