leeds and liverpool canal
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Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Description: A 127 mile, cross-Pennine route, from Leeds River Lock, where it joins the Aire and Calder Navigation, to Liverpool.

History: Promoted by Acts of 1720, 1770, 1783, 1790, 1794 and 1819. Over fifty miles of waterway open by early 1774. The Bingley Five Rise Locks were opened on the 21st March 1774. Five laden boats descended the locks watched by thousands of people. Burnley Embankment (designed by Robert Whitworth, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Company Engineer) started in 1795. Gannow tunnel was completed in early 1801. The whole canal was fully opened in 1816.

Subordinate Waterways:

Cruising near Skipton

Related Articles

Related Books

  • The Canals of North West England (1) by Charles Hadfield & Gordon Biddle , ISBN 07153 49562 :236 pages, Published by David & Charles Volume 1. Order now from Amazon.

  • The Canals of North West England (2) by Charles Hadfield & Gordon Biddle , ISBN 07153 49929 :260 pages, Published by David & Charles Volume 2. Order now from Amazon.

  • A Home Tour Through the Manufacturing Districts of England, in the Summer of 1835 by Sir G Head , Edition: 1st edition 445 pages, Published by John Murray 1836 Many journeys by canal and river are described, including the Bridgewater, Carlise and Annan, Halifax, Knottingley, Lancaster, Leeds & Liverpool and Trent & Mersey. Several new railways are also described as part of this industrial tour.

  • Sailing Through England by John Seymour , Edition: 1st edition 256 pages, Published by Eyre & Spottiswoode 1956 Account of a long journey on a dutch barge, on East Coast waterways and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Illustrated.

  • Leeds and Liverpool Canal Craft by G Wheat , Edition: 1st edition 24 pages, Published by Northern Counties Carriers 1972 Illustrated.

  • The Leeds & Liverpool Canal by D C Lyons , Published by Hendon Publishing Co 1977

  • Liverpool and its Canal by Mike Clarke & Allison Hewitt , ISBN 0-95161293X :112 pages, Published by Merseyside Port Folios 1992 Informative but lacks good presentation. Order now from Amazon.

  • Around and About The Leeds & Liverpool Canal by Mike Clarke , 112 pages, Published by Milepost Research 1992 Comprehensive, A5 size, tourist guide. Illustrated with coloured maps, line drawings and photographs.

  • Walks from the Leeds-Liverpool Canal by Mary Welsh , ISBN 1 85284 212 1 :160 pages, Published by Cicerone Press 1996 Description of 34 walks. Order now from Amazon.

  • Burscough Boatmen: Their Marriages and their Boats by Robert Cheetham-Houghton , ISBN 1 901231 12 7 :52 pages, Published by Countyvise March 1999 A history, with photographs, of the boating families of this small town on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Order now from Amazon.

  • The Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Yorkshire by Dr Garry Firth , ISBN 0 7524 1631 6 :128 pages, Published by Tempus 1999 An illustrated history of the canal. Part of the Images of England Series. Order now from Amazon.

  • Scenes from the Past - Lancashire Canal Carriers, J Monk & Sons by Norman Jones & James and Leonard Monk , ISBN 1 870119 54 1 :64 pages, Published by Foxline 2000 Large format book with good photographs of the Manchester Ship Canal and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Order now from Amazon.

  • Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 5 by Not known , ISBN 0 7028 4165 X :144 pages, Published by Nicholson 2000 North West & the Pennines. Includes the Aire & Calder (leeds to Wakefield), Bridgewater, Calder & Hebble, Huddersfield Broad, Lancaster, Leeds & Liverpool, Macclesfield, Peak Forest, Ashton and Rochdale canals plus the Trent & Mersey north of Hardings Wood Junction. Order now from Amazon.

Related Videos

  • The Leeds and Liverpool Canal (Part 1) Produced by VideoActive Eastern section - Leeds to Foulridge. Available on tape and DVD. Order on video tape from Amazon Order on DVD from Amazon

  • The Leeds & Liverpool Canal - Blackburn to Leeds 55 minutes approx., Produced by Westbrook Video Productions From the heart of industrial east Lancashire, the video takes the viewer through Accrington and Burnley into the contrasting splendour of the North Yorkshire Dales countryside. Available on tape.

  • The Leeds and Liverpool Canal (Part 2) Produced by VideoActive Western section - Foulridge to Liverpool. Available on tape and DVD. Order on DVD from Amazon

Related Photographs

Related External Web Sites

Related Cruising Logs

Other Related Pages

Lock Sizes and maximum craft dimensions: Leeds to Wigan: Length 62 foot, beam 14 foot. Wigan to Liverpool: Length 72 foot, beam 14 foot. NOTE: For more details of maximum lock and craft sizes and the basis of these figures see Craft and Lock Sizes Page

Leeds and Liverpool Canal: Table of distances

Miles

Locks

Navigable (N)

Grid ref

OS Map No

River Lock No 1, Leeds

Junction with Aire & Calder Main Line

0.0

1

N

SE297330

104

Office Lock No 2

Leeds Wharf

.3

2

N

SE295330

104

St Anne's Ing Lock No 3

.5

3

N

SE289332

104

Oddy Staircase Locks Nos 4 and 5

.8

5

N

SE285334

104

Spring Garden's Lock No 6

1.0

6

N

SE283337

104

Armley Mill Bridge No 225

1.5

6

N

SE276340

104

Kirkstall Wharf Bridge

3.0

6

N

SE259351

104

Kirkstall Lock No 7

Kirkstall Brewery

3.5

7

N

SE256358

104

Kirkstall Forge Staircase Locks Nos 8 to 10

4.0

10

N

SE250363

104

Newlay Staircase Locks Nos 11 to 13

4.5

13

N

SE242366

104

Horsforth Road Bridge No 216A

A6120

6.1

13

N

SE221367

104

Dobson Staircase Locks Nos 14 and 15

9.0

15

N

SE187381

104

Strangford Basin

9.9

15

N

SE184395

104

Field Staircase Locks Nos 16 to 18

10.3

18

N

SE179397

104

Bradford Canal (abandoned)

12.5

18

N

SE151377

104

Shipley Road Bridges No 207A

A6038

12.8

18

N

SE148377

104

Hirst Lock No 19

13.8

19

N

SE132382

104

Dowley Gap Staircase Locks Nos 20 and 21

14.4

21

N

SE119383

104

Bingley Station Bridge No 202

15.3

21

N

SE107392

104

Bingley 3 Rise Staircase Locks Nos 22 to 24

15.4

24

N

SE107394

104

Bingley 5 Rise Staircase Locks Nos 25 to 29

15.6

29

N

SE107399

104

Granby Bridge, Riddlesden No 197A

18.0

29

N

SE079423

104

Leache Bridge No 196

18.5

29

N

SE070426

104

Silsden Bridge No 191A

A6034 Road Bridge. Town centre a quarter of a mile north.

22.5

29

N

SE041461

104

Kildwick Aqueduct

24.3

29

N

SE010459

104

Snaygill Stone Bridge No 181

27.8

29

N

SD993493

103

Skipton Junction

Junction with Leeds & Liverpool - Springs Branch

29.3

29

N

SD987516

103

Holme Bridge Lock No 30

Holme Bridge (A65 road) No 172A

33.3

30

N

SD943545

103

Eshton Road Lock No 31

Eshton Road Bridge No 171

34.0

31

N

SD933545

103

Higherland Lock No 32

Higherland Bridge No 170

34.3

32

N

SD930544

103

Anchor Lock No 33

A65 Road over Anchor Bridge No 169A

34.6

33

N

SD925542

103

Scarland Lock No 34

34.8

34

N

SD921542

103

Stegneck Lock No 35

35.0

35

N

SD918539

103

Bank Newton Bottom Lock No 36

Bank Newton Flight of 6 locks Nos 36 to 41

35.3

36

N

SD914533

103

Bank Newton Top Lock No 41

35.8

41

N

SD911529

103

Double Arched Bridge No 161

Cross Keys Inn, East Marton

38.0

41

N

SD909508

103

South Field Bridge No 159

39.5

41

N

SD897492

103

Greenberfield Bottom Lock No 42

Greenberfield Flight of 3 locks Nos 42 to 44

40.5

42

N

SD889484

103

Greenberfield Top Lock No 44

40.8

44

N

SD887481

103

Coates Bridge No 154A

Barnoldswick half a mile south-west.

41.5

44

N

SD881474

103

Salterforth Bridge No 151

Salterforth Village 200 yards north-east.

43.5

44

N

SD887453

103

Foulridge Wharf

45.0

44

N

SD888425

103

Foulridge Tunnel (North-east End)

45.1

44

N

SD887424

103

Foulridge Tunnel (South-west End)

46.1

44

N

SD874415

103

Barrowford Top Lock No 45

Barrowford Flight of 7 locks Nos 45 to 51

46.8

45

N

SD868403

103

Barrowford Bottom Lock No 51

47.5

51

N

SD867395

103

Nelson Bridge No 141

Town Centre 400 yards east.

48.8

51

N

SD856380

103

Lob Lane Bridge No 137

Brierfield

50.3

51

N

SD843364

103

Godley Bridge No 130H

The north end of Burnley embankment.

53.8

51

N

SD846331

103

Burnley BWB Depot

54.5

51

N

SD840320

103

Gannow Tunnel (North End)

56.0

51

N

SD827329

103

Old Rose Grove Bridge No 125

M65 Motorway bridge immediately south

56.8

51

N

SD810322

103

Hapton Bridge No 121

58.3

51

N

SD793320

103

Whalley Road Bridge No 114B

Clayton-le-Moors. A680 road bridge.

62.5

51

N

SD748304

103

Church Kirk Bridge No 112

63.8

51

N

SD739290

103

Rishton Bridge No 108A

Town centre a quarter of a mile west.

66.0

51

N

SD728303

103

Railway Bridge No 105

68.5

51

N

SD705294

103

Whitebirk Bridge No104B

68.8

51

N

SD705287

103

Enam Bridge No 103A

Blackburn station and town centre.

70.3

51

N

SD688281

103

Blackburn Top Lock No 52

Blackburn Flight of 6 locks Nos 52 to 57

71.0

52

N

SD683271

103

Blackburn Bottom Lock No 57

Bolton Road (A666) Bridge No 99

71.5

57

N

SD677268

103

Cherry Tree Bridge No 95

73.0

57

N

SD659263

103

Stanworth Bridge No 93

75.0

57

N

SD641249

103

Riley Green Bridge No 91A

A675 road bridge

76.0

57

N

SD623251

103

Withnell Fold Bridge No 88

Village on East bank.

77.5

57

N

SD610231

103

Whins Bridge No 83

Wheelton

78.8

57

N

SD601218

103

Johnson's Hill Top Lock No 58

Johnson's Hill flight of 7 locks Nos 58 to 64

79.3

58

N

SD596214

102

Johnson's Hill Bottom Lock No 64

Junction with the closed Walton Summit Branch

79.8

64

N

SD590206

102

Botany Bridge No 78A

81.0

64

N

SD593188

108

Cowling Bridge No 75A

82.3

64

N

SD596167

108

White Bear Bridge No 69

Adlington

85.0

64

N

SD599129

108

Red Rock Bridge No 63

87.5

64

N

SD584098

108

Wigan Top Lock No 65

Wigan flight of 23 locks Nos 65 to 87

90.0

65

N

SD607067

109

Wigan Lock No 78

Rose Bridge No 54, A577.

91.0

78

N

SD597056

108

Leigh Branch Junction

Junction with Leeds & Liverpool - Leigh Branch

92.0

85

N

SD583048

108

Wigan Bottom Lock No 87

92.3

87

N

SD579050

108

Wigan Pier

Heritage Centre

92.5

87

N

SD575052

108

Pagefield Lock No 88

93.4

88

N

SD568060

108

Hell Meadow Lock No 89

94.0

89

N

SD562067

108

M6 Motorway Bridge

95.9

89

N

SD536074

108

Dean Locks No 90

Two locks side by side

96.0

90

N

SD535074

108

Appley Bridge No 42

Canalside hamlet.

97.5

90

N

SD523092

108

Appley Lock No 91

One deep lock or two shallower locks beside it can be used.

98.0

91

N

SD518095

108

Parbold Bridge No 37

Parbold Village on north bank

99.5

91

N

SD491105

108

Rufford Branch Junction

Junction with Leeds & Liverpool - Rufford Branch

102.5

91

N

SD450114

108

Burscough Bridge No 32A

BW Depot

103.3

91

N

SD442121

108

New Lane Bridge No 31

104.3

91

N

SD428126

108

Heatons Bridge No 28

Heaton Bridge Inn

106.0

91

N

SD403118

108

Scarisbrick Bridge No 27A

A570 road bridge

107.0

91

N

SD387117

108

Halsall Bridge No 25

Halsall village a quarter of a mile north-west

108.5

91

N

SD374098

108

Haskayne Bridge No 21A

Haskayne village on west bank.

110.0

91

N

SD360079

108