Slate Wharf By 1776, the Bridgewater Canal had been extended 28 miles west to join the Mersey estuary at Runcorn, giving Castlefield a direct link to the sea. During the 19th century, the North Wales quarries shipped vast quantities of slate to Manchester for roofing hundreds of new factories and thousands of new homes. The demand for building materials was immense - between 1801 and 1901 the population of Manchester grew from 70,000 to 544,000.
Colour: brass
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