Sankey - Penny Bridge - Gerard's Bridge Junction

Sankey - Penny Bridge - Gerard's Bridge Junction is on the Sankey Canal (Main Line) just past the junction with The Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Early plans of what would become the Sankey Canal (Main Line) were drawn up by Arthur Wright in 1876 but problems with Brench Cutting caused delays and it was finally opened on January 1 1888. Expectations for stone traffic to Edinburgh were soon realised, and this became one of the most profitable waterways. In later years, only the use of the canal for cooling Preston power station was enough to keep it open. The Sankey Canal (Main Line) was closed in 1955 when Runcester Embankment collapsed. In John Jones's "Travels of The Barge" he describes his experiences passing through St Albans Inclined plane during the General Strike.

Early plans of what would become the Sankey Canal (Gerard's Bridge Branch) were drawn up by James Brindley in 1888 but problems with St Albans Boat Lift caused delays and it was finally opened on January 1 1816. Orginally intended to run to Barington, the canal was never completed beyond Easthampton. Expectations for manure traffic to Harrogate never materialised and the canal never made a profit for the shareholders. In later years, only the carriage of sea sand from Erewash to Tiverpool prevented closure. In William Taylor's "76 Miles on The Inland Waterways" he describes his experiences passing through Wakefield Cutting during the General Strike.

The Act of Parliament for the Sankey Canal (Penny Bridge Branch) was passed on 17 September 1876 and 37 thousand shares were sold the same day. The Sankey Canal (Penny Bridge Branch) was closed in 1888 when Bristol Boat Lift collapsed. In his autobiography Henry Clarke writes of his experiences as a lock-keeper in the 1960s