The Lancaster Canal is a canal in Lancashire in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria (then in Westmorland). The section around the crossing of the River Ribble was never completed, and much of the southern end leased to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, of which it is now generally considered part. The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... Lancashire is a county and duchy palatine in the North of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st... Lancashire is a county and duchy palatine in the North of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Kendal is an ancient town in the traditional county of Westmorland, in the South Lakeland district county of Cumbria, England. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... Westmorland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. ... The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ... The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in the north of England running from Liverpool, Merseyside to Leeds, West Yorkshire. ...

Of the canal north of Preston, only the section from Preston to Tewitfield near Carnforth in Lancashire is currently open to navigation (42 miles), with the canal north of Tewitfield having been severed in three places by the construction of the M6 motorway, and by the A590 road near Kendal. The southern part, from Walton Summit to Wigan Top Lock, remains navigable as part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The planned continuation to Westhoughton was never built. Preston is a city and local government district in North West England. ... Carnforth is a small town in the north of Lancashire, England, situated at the north-east end of Morecambe Bay, by the River Keer. ... Lancashire is a county and duchy palatine in the North of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... This article concerns the M6 motorway in England. ... The A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England, running from M6 junction 36, to the town of Barrow-in-Furness. ... Kendal is an ancient town in the traditional county of Westmorland, in the South Lakeland district county of Cumbria, England. ...

The line of the canal was first surveyed by Robert Whitworth in 1772. In 1791, John Longbotham, Robert Dickinson and Richard Beck resurveyed the proposed line, and a final survey was carried out later the same year by John Rennie. 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... John Rennie (7 June 1761 in East Linton, Scotland - 4 October 1821) was a civil engineer, constructing many bridges, canals, and docks. ...

An Act of Parliament received the Royal Assent on 11 June 1792, entitled An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal, from Kirkby Kendal in the county of Westmoreland, to West Houghton in the county palatine of Lancaster, and also a navigable Branch from the said intended Canal at or near Barwick, to or near Warton Cragg, and also another navigable Branch, from, at or near, Galemoss, by Chorley, to or near Duxbury in the said county palatine of Lancaster. In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. ... The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, or the Sovereigns representative in Commonwealth Realms, completes the process of the enactment of legislation by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

John Rennie was appointed as Engineer in July 1792, with William Crossley the elder as his assistant, and Archibald Millar as resident engineer and superintendent.

The northern end

Work started almost immediately on the level pound from Preston to Tewitfield, and in 1794 on the Lune Aqueduct. By 1797 the aqueduct was open, carrying the canal 62 feet (19 metres) above the river, and boats were now able to travel the 42 3/8 miles (68.2 km) from Preston to Tewitfield,(The Grade II listed aqueduct is expected to remain closed until mid-April due to some small leaks where it joins the soil embankment. Recent inspections showed that water is escaping through the south east side of the stone pillars and at the foot of the embankment next to the aqueduct. British Waterways engineers will have to drain the aqueduct to investigate this further, and working in partnership with the Environment Agency, have rescued stocks of fish and moved them to other parts of the canal. Once the extent of the leaks have been established, repairs will be carried out and the aqueduct, engineered and built by John Rennie more than 200 years ago, will be re-opened to the thousands of boating and towpath visitors who enjoy Lancaster Canal each year. Until then, boaters navigating the canal can use the winding holes at Halton Road Bridge 108 to the north and at Bridge 98 to the south (Galgate). For more information updates will be posted on www.waterscape.com.)

 In 1813, work began on the canal north from Tewitfield, which was completed to Kendal in 1819. Construction on the 2.5 mile (4 km) Glasson Dock branch began in 1819, and it opened in 1826, with six locks carrying the canal down to the sea. 

In 1941-42 the by then unused ½-mile (0.8 km) section north of Kendal Gas Works was closed because of leakage, and the canal carried its final commercial traffic in 1947. In 1955, an Act of Parliament authorised the closure of the canal. It was drained of water north from Stainton because of leakage, and the last two miles (3 km) in Kendal were filled in. However, the route of the canal south from Kendal is still readily apparent, with most of the bridges remaining in place. Construction of the M6 Motorway effectively ended navigation north of Tewitfield, with the canal culverted in three places, though it remains in water and can be used by small boats. 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article concerns the M6 motorway in England. ...

Packet boats provided an express passenger service between Preston and Lancaster, and later to Kendal at 10 mph (16 km/h), with passengers walking up or down the flight of locks at Tewitfield and embarking on a second boat. The seven-hour journey time halved the best speeds of stage coaches: because of the comfort of the journey, passengers stayed loyal to the packet boats even after the advent of railway competition in the 1840s.

The isolated northern part of the canal was finally connected to the rest of the English canal network in 2002 by the opening of the Ribble Link. For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... The Ribble Link is Great Britains newest inland waterway, opened in 2002. ...

Most of the canal runs through open countryside except where it runs through the City of Lancaster. With the exception of the branch to Glasson Dock and the Ribble Link, the navigable Preston to Tewitfield section of the canal follows the same contour and is therefore free of locks. Glasson Dock is a village south of Lancaster. ... The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) was a Discovery-class space mission. ... Canal locks in England. ...

The Kendal to Preston section now terminates at Ashton basin, but previously continued to the centre of Preston where there are a number of streets and pubs whose names give clues: Wharfe Street, Kendal Street, The Lamb and Packet (the lamb being the crest of Preston), The Fighting Cocks (formerly The Boatmans). Most of the ground formerly occupied by the canal basin is now the University of Central Lancashire.

The southern end

By 1799, the canal was complete between Bark Hill near Wigan and Johnson's Hillock near Chorley. However, by 1801, no design had even been agreed for the aqueduct over the River Ribble, and in July 1801 it was agreed to build a temporary tramroad to cross the river and span the gap between the northern and southern parts of the canal. The double-track tramroad was opened in 1803 with three steam-worked inclined planes and a low tressle bridge across the Ribble. The canal was extended north from Johnson's Hillock to Walton Summit through a tunnel at Whittle Hills. 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Map sources for Wigan at grid reference SD583055 Wigan is a large town in the north-west of England, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, lying in the historic county of Lancashire. ... Chorleys Coat of Arms Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, Great Britain, south of Preston and at the foot of the West Pennine Moors. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

This temporary solution become permanent, and the aqueduct was never built. Although this section was the busiest on the canal, income was insufficient to pay for construction of the planned aqueduct.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal having reached Blackburn by 1810, a decision was made to link with the Lancaster Canal's southern end to avoid constructing a parallel waterway. The Lancaster Canal built two short branches to connect with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, from Johnson's Hillock including 7 locks, and from Bark Hill to Wigan Top Lock – the Act authorising this construction also authorising additional tolls to make it worthwhile the Lancaster Canal co-operating with the Leeds and Liverpool. Location within the British Isles Blackburn is a town in Lancashire, England (2001 census population 105,085: source ONS). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1851 the Lancaster Canal leased the tolls on the southern end to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in return for an annual rent, and this agreement was made permanent in 1864. 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

The tramroad was closed from Bamber Bridge to Preston in 1864, and the remainder to Walton Summit in 1879. The canal between Walton Summit and the Leeds and Liverpool link at Johnson's Hillock was last used in 1932, and now much is buried under the M61 motorway. The remainder of the southern end is now normally considered as part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and remains well used by leisure traffic. 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... The M61 motorway is a major road in England. ...

Restoration

Long term plans are being developed to reopen the section north of Tewitfield, which is still in water for 9 miles (15 km), fed by a reservoir at Killington near Tebay: the final 5 miles (8 km) into Kendal are dry.

The Northern Reaches Restoration Group (NRRG) aims to restore the canal from Tewitfield to Kendal. There are nine partners: British Waterways, Cumbria County Council, Inland Waterways Association, Kendal Town Council, Lancashire County Council, City of Lancaster Council, Lancaster Canal Trust, South Lakeland District Council, and The Waterways Trust. British Waterways sign near Gas Street Basin on the BCN. British Waterways is a government body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Scottish Executive in the United Kingdom. ... Since 1946 the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), a registered charity, and its over 17,500 members have campaigned for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and sensitive development of Britains canals and river navigations. ... Lancashire County Council is the local authority for the county of Lancashire, England. ... The City of Lancaster is a local government district and city in Lancashire in North West England. ... South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. ...

The restoration will involve restoring the six places where the canal is culverted (including the three places where the M6 Motorway construction blocked the route), restoring Hincaster Tunnel, restoring the 5 dry miles, and a new crossing of the A590 road near Kendal, as well as many more minor works including work on 52 listed structures. The extensive engineering required will be expensive (a 2002 estimate being £60 million), and so restoration is planned to proceed in phases. Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ...

The first phase is planned to be restoration of 3.7 miles (6.0 km) southwards from Canal Head in Kendal to Natland Road. Funding of £750 000 was provided in 2005 for the planning and design of this first phase: construction works are not expected to commence before late 2007 with completion in 2009 at the earliest.