Plaque

'Blow-up' bridge
At 3am on 2 October 1874, the boat 'Tilbury', carrying gunpowder to a quarry in the Midlands, exploded, demolishing the bridge and killing three people. Locals sprang from their beds, fearing an earthquake.

When the bridge was rebuilt, they turned the pillers around so that they offered a smooth surface for boats' towing ropes. Look out for the rope grooves on both sides of the pillars.

{The picture is captioned:}
1874 A newspaper illustration of the Macclesfield Bridge explosion
{and credited:}
Etching: The London Illustrated News Picture Library 

The Regents Canal
British Waterways London
Heritage Lottery Fund