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The Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal was first proposed in approximately 1720 but was not built until the 1790's.
It was specifically built to bring coal up from the south Lancashire coalfields through Wigan across the Ribble and Lune rivers and up to Kendal. On the return journey limestone was brought down from the Lakeland quarries to south Lancashire to be used for building or soil conditioning in the areas around Manchester as the towns were developing at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Boats on the canal carried cargoes up to 30 tons and shortly after the canal was built up to Kendal (1819) up to half a million tons of goods were being carried each year on the canal. It has only been since the 1960's that recreational use has developed on the Lancaster Canal and indeed canals around the country.The Ribble Link which opened in 2002 is the only "new" canal to be built and this has been primarily for recreational use.
Beginning in the centre of bustling Preston and stretching to the borders of the Lake District, the canal winds its way through unspoilt countryside and historic towns, the largest and most famous being
Lancaster, an early Roman settlement on the banks of the River Lune. Lancaster is the perfect place to visit if you are a lover of History and the Arts. Cruise over the Lune Aquaduct which carries the canal 60ft above the river Lune, a fine example of John Rennies work back in 1797.
The main line of the canal is lock free. Many refer to it as ‘the social canal’ and it is famed among boating enthusiasts for its friendliness. As you amble further North the shape and character
of the land changes from being gentle and rolling to more spectacular, as Morecambe Bay and the
mountains of the Lake District come into view.
Extracts courtesy of the Lancaster Canal Trust see opposite.
The Lancaster Canal Trust
Since its formation in 1963 as the Association for the Restoration of the Lancaster Canal, the Trust’s main objective has been to restore, and reopen to navigation, the length of the canal from Tewitfield, just north of Carnforth, to Kendal. In addition, the Trust aims to increase awareness and promote interest amongst all users of this historic and beautiful waterway, be they boaters, walkers, cyclists, or anglers.
As well as working towards full restoration, the Trust is committed to the ongoing maintenance of our existing heritage. As a result of the efforts of the Trust many of the original structures have been protected, further losses of cruising waterway have been successfully resisted, notably in Preston, and improvements have been made to the towpath by erecting interpretative panels at various sites along the canal.