finally before British Rail, the post-grouping company was the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The station opened on 20 November 1848. It was on the Bury– section of the Liverpool & Bury Railway, which opened on the same day. To the east of the station, the valley of the River Tonge is crossed by Darcy Lever viaduct, which is high. It comprises a wrought iron structure of eight spans, standing on stone piers and abutments and dating from 1848. Two spans are long, and six are long. Each consists of six lattice girders: two , which also form the parapets, flanking four which are deep. This viaduct, together with a shorter one of similar construction on the same line (over the River Croal at Burnden) was claimed by the Bolton Chronicle (18 November 1848) to be "the first of their kind in England". The station closed on 29 October 1951. The structure was finally designated non-operational in 1983, some thirteen years after the line closed. Canals Six aqueducts were required to allow the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal to cross the River Irwell, the River Tonge and four roads. On the Bolton arm these were Hall Lane Aqueduct, Fogg's Aqueduct and the larger Damside Aqueduct. The Damside Aqueduct was demolished in June 1965 for a road and river crossing at Darcy Lever. Many bridges were constructed along the length of the canal, most were small allowing access to farmland, although many are wide enough for a horse and cart. In places where the canal crossed important thoroughfares, such as Water Street in Radcliffe, Radcliffe Road in Darcy Lever and Agecroft Road in Salford, larger bridges were constructed. See also Great Lever Little Lever List of mining disasters in Lancashire References Villages in Greater Manchester Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton