Newport Canal
Forton Aqueduct and Skew Bridge
Post 5 - Forton
May 2010
When life is finally breathed into this lovely canal, and it would be almost criminal if it isn't, I predict the Forton will become one of the honeypot moorings. Not only is there a very pretty village 400 yards up the road, there are also two particularly attractive structures on the canal itself within a stone's throw of each other.
Messe Aqueduct at Forton - south face
Dr D summed the aqueduct up when he climbed over a fence and exclaimed "Oh, wow. You are going to love this - its certainly one for the aqueduct Blog". And he was right. It's is a beautiful three arched sandstone aqueduct built on the skew. From the canal bed it's charms are completely hidden, and the north face is a bit pedestrian, but oh the south face, basking in the noonday sun over a pool of clear water. A little slice of heaven.
Messe Aqueduct at Forton - north face
If that wasn't enough, a mere 100 yards to the west lies the Forton Skew Bridge. Again, a structure bult in soft local sandstone on an angle, and again perfectly preserved. There is no rubbish, no vandalism, just an abandoned bridge in mint condition - just add water.
Under the Forton Skew Bridge
Masonry details
Actually getting down to it was tricky for those of us in shorts, but what I found was well worth the stings I suffered. What do you think?
Bridge Guard - Forton Skew Bridge
The above photos have been assembled from various sources, including those freely found on the internet. My thanks go to the many photographers alive and dead who have contributed to this collection and in so doing, are keeping the memory of these canals alive. These images are reproduced for ease of research are are not necessarily the property of this blog and some may still be subject to copyright, and as such they should not be used for commercial gain without the explicit permission of the owner (whoever that may be).
Thanks for showing us Forton. It's all georgeous (complimented by the weather of course!)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteLoving these shots of another disused canal, something about them that is so magical. You might be interested in my Dilham Canal Youtube vids (Part 1 by kayak, Part 2 on foot) - nice to see you have some coverage of this as well. I may try and get to the Newport canal, looks fascinating.
ReplyDeleteEP x