EYE witnesses likened the scene to the Niagara Falls as gallons of water cascaded down into the River Irwell 300 foot below, emptying the canal almost as far as Bury.

The Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal had suffered several major breaches throughout its history and as early as 1799, a flood carried away large sections of the lower banks.

But nothing prepared the village of Little Lever for the events of July 6, 1936, when a breach occurred a short way east of the Nob End locks, on the arm towards Bury. At this point, a bend of the River Irwell has eroded the valley side into a steep slope. The canal contours round the hillside, over 100 feet above the valley floor, supported by a masonry embankment, with a sheer drop from the towpath.

There had been previous problems at this spot and the embankment had been re-built with railway lines used as re-enforcements, but the area may have suffered from subsidence caused by the nearby Ladyshore Colliery. When the breach happened, it was so sudden that it swept two boats down into the river below and quickly drained the summit level as hundreds of tons of rocks, plus millions of gallons of water poured down the valley.

“So mighty was the rush of water,” reported the paper, “that huge stones, rocks and great pieces of coal were loosed down the banking, and barges were swept over to be broken to matchwood. Mr John W. Martin, of Loxham Street, Bolton, said: “I was cycling along the bank when I suddenly saw signs of a subsidence begin on a bend in the canal. I could not stop and my only chance was to ride furiously along the two feet of earth which remained. As I passed over the earth fell away behind the back wheel of my bicycle and I was thrown off. The noise was deafening."

Several barges were smashed and one was left perched perilously over the precipice as can be seen on one of the photographs.

Fortunately no one was injured, but the incident had huge repercussions for the canal itself, which was never repaired and although the canal saw continued use between Ladyshore Colliery and Bury, it closed in 1961.

Today it is still possible to see where the breach occurred although the whole area is covered in trees.