A BEAUTIFUL GREEN

Today Worsley village is a beautiful place to visit. Part of its historic centre has been designated a conservation area in recognition of its heritage assets, including the Packet House, a Grade II listed building where people would go and buy tickets for the ‘packet boat’. The centre of the village has a charm of its own with its traditional green surrounded by black and white half-timbered housing. It was here that the Duke of Bridgewater had his factory clock changed to chime thirteen bells at one o’clock to make sure his workers were never late back from lunch.

But rewind the years and Worsley played a key role in the creation of the Bridgewater Canal, as it was here that Francis Egerton and his agent John Gilbert first came up with the idea of a canal to link his coal mines with the city of Manchester.