The Liverpool and Manchester railway is carried over the nearby Sankey Viaduct, built by George Stephenson. The line opened on 15 September 1830, marking the start of the modern railway system. The viaduct is a grade I listed structure, with nine arches (each 21.3m high, with a 15.2m span). Known locally as ‘the nine arches’, this is the world’s oldest railway viaduct still in operation.