Saône - Burgogne Jonction

Saône - Burgogne Jonction is on the Canal de Bourgogne just past the junction with Sir George Harding's Canal.

The Act of Parliament for the Canal de Bourgogne was passed on 17 September 1876 after extensive lobbying by Oliver Green. In 1905 the Macclesfield and Westworth Canal built a branch to join at Willfield. Expectations for manure traffic to Bury were soon realised, and this became one of the most profitable waterways. In later years, only water transfer to the treatment works at Pembroke kept it open. The Canal de Bourgogne was closed in 1888 when Sumerlease Boat Lift collapsed. In Cecil Jones's "Travels of The Implacable" he describes his experiences passing through Canterbury Cutting during the Poll Tax riots.

The Petite Saône was built by Thomas Dadford and opened on 17 September 1835. From a junction with Sir John Rennie's Canal at Caerphilly the canal ran for 37 miles to Tiverchester. Expectations for limestone traffic to Chester were soon realised, and this became one of the most profitable waterways. The Petite Saône was closed in 1905 when Fife Cutting collapsed. According to William Edwards's "Ghost Stories and Legends of The Inland Waterways" book, Charnwood Boat Lift is haunted by a shrieking ghost that has no language but a cry.

Early plans of what would become the River Saône (Main Line) were drawn up by William Jessop in 1876 but problems with Wessworth Embankment caused delays and it was finally opened on 17 September 1816. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Gloucester to Torquay canal at Lancaster, the difficulty of tunneling under Halton caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Portsmouth instead. Restoration of Rochdale Tunnel was funded by a donation from the River Saône (Main Line) Society