There is so much to do on the Bridgewater Canal, whether you are boating, fishing, walking or cycling. The canal and towpath are great shared community spaces, find out more with our information for canal users.
Various species of fish can be found along the Bridgewater Canal including Rudd, Roach, Carp, Perch, Bream, Tench and Pike. If you would like to fish on the canal, there are a number of fishing clubs which have a licence to fish on various stretches. Warrington Anglers Association currently hold the licence for the Salford stretch of the canal.
For useful information about fishing on the canal and the Fishing Code of Practice - find out more about angling on the Bridgewater Canal
Boaters are welcome along the Bridgewater Canal route although all craft using the Bridgewater Canal must have a Bridgewater Canal Licence.
On the Salford stretch of the canal there are mooring locations at Patricroft, Worsley and Boothstown. You can also hire a boat from a local company on a daily, weekly or short term basis. If you’d prefer someone else to do the navigating you can charter a cruise boat or book on a scheduled trip.
For useful information about licensing, mooring locations, local boat operators and hiring boats - find out more about boating on the Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal towpath provides a very pleasant walking route with plenty to see along the way. The canal towpath is all one level and you can walk all the way from one end of the Canal to the other if you like. Certain sections of the canal towpath are a shared space welcoming both walkers and cyclists.
The canal also links to other key walking routes in Salford such as the Loopline network which takes you from Monton all the way to Worsley, Roe Green and Walkden and the Port Salford Greenway which takes you from Patricroft railway bridge through to Winton and Brookhouse.
The canal is close to some beautiful green spaces where you can explore even further on foot – such as Duke’s Drive and Worsley Woods. Or why not follow one of our self-guided trails to find out more about both the canal and the surrounding area. The entire Bridgewater Canal towpath covers a 65km (39 miles) route - find out more about walking on the Bridgewater Canal
The canal towpath in Salford is quite flat so can be enjoyed by cyclists of all abilities. It’s is a shared space with walkers, anglers and boaters so cyclists should familiarise themselves with the Cycling Code of Practice.
From June 2016 the entire towpath in Salford will be suitable for cyclists. The canal also links to other routes in Salford suitable for cyclists such as the Loopline network which takes you from Monton all the way to Worsley, Roe Green and Walkden and the Port Salford Greenway which takes you from Patricroft railway bridge through to Winton and Brookhouse. Both these routes are designed to be shared spaces for walkers and cyclists.
It is worth noting that on the wider Bridgewater Canal, cycling is only permitted on certain parts. find out more about cycling on the Bridgewater Canal
We want the Bridgewater Canal to be a safe and enjoyable destination for everyone to visit. The Bridgewater Canal Company has put together some guidelines to help everyone enjoy the canal at its best. For all users of the Bridgewater Canal, from boat owners and fishermen to walkers and cyclists - please read the Code of use guidelines
From its beginning in Salford in 1761, the Bridgewater Canal went on to expand beyond its initial route into Manchester and became a 39 mile (65 km) long waterway stretching from Runcorn to Leigh across the North West of England.
In its industrial heyday over 3 million tonnes of traffic used the Bridgewater Canal. Built on one level, its route follows the contours of the land to avoid the use of locks. Nowadays it is a leisure waterway popular with many cruising boaters. The towpath provides a very pleasant walking route with plenty to see along the way. Cycling is permitted on certain sections of the towpath that have been upgraded to enable shared use.
The Bridgewater Way is a regeneration project which, when completed, will create a leisure route for walkers and cyclist along the full length of the Bridgewater Canal.
The works include improving the Canal towpath by creating new access points and where possible widening the surface to allow cycling and making the towpath a safer and more appealing route.
The Bridgewater Canal is owned and operated by The Bridgewater Canal Company Limited, part of The Peel Group, in conjunction with the Bridgewater Canal Trust.
Find out more about the wider Bridgewater Way
You can contact the Bridgewater Canal Company directly by email at Bridgewatercanal@peel.co.uk or by telephone on 0161 629 8200 (between 2pm and 4pm Monday to Friday).