Editorial

Abstract

This paper reviews, for the first time, the archaeology of the entire length of the Bridgewater Canal, one of the iconic monuments of the British Industrial Revolution. It seeks to review two decades of piecemeal fieldwork along the length of the canal, from Runcorn to Worsley, before looking at the evidence for the construction of the canal, including the aqueducts, embankments, and warehouses. The study then goes on to look at the technological impact of the canal. It concludes by assessing the Bridgewater in its international context and setting out a research agenda for its future study as a linear transport monument of the Industrial Age.