From Nob End the canal descended immediately through six locks arranged as two staircases of three with a passing pound between.

At the bottom of these locks the canal turns sharply to cross the River Irwell on Prestolee Aqueduct.

The canal is then cut into the hillside above the river until the site of Ringley Locks is reached. Here there were two separate locks.

Within a mile there was a further pair of individual locks at Giant's Seat and the lock house is still standing beside the upper one. After a further mile there was an isolated lock at Rhodes.

The canal then continued, still beside the river, under the M60 crossing of the River Irwell, and shortly thereafter it turned sharply to cross the river once more - this time on Clifton Aqueduct.

At the far end of the aqueduct there was a junction with the short Fletcher's Canal, the main line making a right angle turn to follow the right bank of the River Irwell.

The route of the canal is then past industrial areas towards Agecroft, site of a former power station, now a prison, and after passing under the pipes of the Thirlmere Aqueduct (Manchester's water supply) passes the former Agecroft Colliery site.

The final two miles are completely filled in eventually reaching the Salford University site and passing under The Crescent (A6) road.

Thereafter there were six locks although their positions changed several times with railway building.

The final configuration was Lock 6, original terminal wharf, Locks 5 and 4 (staircase) at Oldfield Road, Salford No.2 tunnel (under the railway), Salford No.1 tunnel, Lock 3 (East Ordsall Lane) staircase of Locks 2 and 1 into the River Irwell (opposite Granada Television).