The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in the north of England running from Liverpool, Merseyside to Leeds, West Yorkshire. The waterway is 127¼ miles (205km) long, with a maximum elevation of 487½ feet (149m). Much of canal was built with locks 62 feet long and 14 feet wide (18.9m by 4.3m) to accommodate the barges already in use on the Rivers Aire and Humber, but the line from Wigan to Liverpool, and the Leigh Branch, were built with locks 72 feet long (22m) to accommodate the longer boats trading on the River Douglas. The most famous part of the canal may be at Aintree racecourse's Canal Turn. The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]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... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county, located in the North West of England. ... Leeds is the urban core of the metropolitan borough and city the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England, corresponding roughly to the core of the West Riding of the traditional county of Yorkshire. ... A mile is a unit of distance (or, in physics terminology, length) currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or 63,360 inches. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a meter. ... Canal locks in England. ... Self propelled barge carrying bulk crushed stone A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. ... The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland, is a river in Lancashire in the north west of England. ... Aintree is a suburb of Liverpool, in the north-west of England. ...

The original Liverpool terminus was at Clarke's Basin near present-day Old Hall Street. The Leeds end of the canal runs into the Aire and Calder Navigation. At Liverpool a direct connection to the docks via Stanley Dock replaced Clarke's Basin. The canal's Rufford Branch links into the River Douglas and is part of the route linking the Lancaster Canal to the rest of the English canal system via the Ribble Link and the River Ribble. The Leigh Branch from Wigan leads to the Bridgewater Canal and thus to Manchester and the Midlands. Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Leeds is the urban core of the metropolitan borough and city the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the county of West Yorkshire, England. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... The Stanley Dock is a dock, on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool it is situated in the northern end of the dock system, connected to Leeds and Liverpool Canal to the east and Collingwood Dock to the west. ... Lancaster Canal - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Ribble Link is Great Britains newest inland waterway, opened in 2002. ... The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ... Map sources for Wigan at grid reference SD583055 Wigan is a large wasteland in the north-west of England, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, lying in the historic county of Lancashire. ... The Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England, near Manchester. ... Manchester is a city in the North West of England. ... In general, the midlands of a territory are its central regions. ...

History

In the mid 18th century the growing towns of Yorkshire including Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford, were trading increasingly. While the Aire and Calder Navigation improved links to the east for Leeds, links to the west were limited to primitive and unreliable road transport. On the west coast, traders in the busy port of Liverpool were restricted in their ability to sell their goods from around the world to the rich towns of Yorkshire. Inspired by the effectiveness of the wholly-artificial navigation, the Bridgewater Canal opened in 1759-1760, a canal across the Pennines linking Liverpool and Hull (by means of the Aire and Calder) had obvious trade benefits. The White Yorkshire rose. ... Leeds is the urban core of the metropolitan borough and city the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... Wakefield Wakefield is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, England, south of Leeds, and by the River Calder. ... Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the county of West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the county of West Yorkshire, England. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... The White Yorkshire rose. ... The Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England, near Manchester. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1760 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Typical Pennine scenery. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the county of West Yorkshire, England. ...

A public meeting took place at the Sun Inn in Bradford on 2 July 1766 to promote the building of such a canal. John Longbotham was engaged to survey a route. Two groups were set up to promote the scheme, one in Liverpool and one in Bradford. The Liverpool committee was unhappy with the route originally proposed, considering that it ran too far to the north, missing key towns and the coalfields of south Lancashire. A counter-proposal was produced by John Eyes and Richard Melling, which was rejected by the Bradford committee as too expensive. James Brindley was called in to arbitrate, and ruled in favour of Longbotham's more northerly route, a decision which caused some of the Lancashire backers to withdraw their support, and which was subsequently amended over the course of development. Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the county of West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the county of West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... Lancashire is a county in the North of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... James Brindley. ...

An Act was passed in May 1770 authorising construction, and James Brindley was appointed chief engineer and John Longbotham clerk of works; following Brindley's death in 1772, Longbotham carried out both roles. 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... James Brindley. ... James Brindley. ... 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

By 1774 the canal had been completed from Skipton to Shipley, including significant engineering features such as the Bingley Five-Rise Locks, Bingley Three-Rise Locks and the seven-arch aqueduct over the River Aire. Also completed was the branch to Bradford. On the western side, the section from Liverpool to Newburgh was dug. By the following year the Yorkshire end had been extended to Gargrave, and by 1777 the canal had joined the Aire and Calder Navigation in Leeds. By now, the subscribed funds and further borrowing had all been spent, and work stopped in 1781 with the completion of the Rufford Branch from Wigan to the River Douglas. 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Map sources for Skipton at grid reference SD9851 Skipton is a town in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. ... Shipley is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford and close to Saltaire. ... The River Aire is a river in West Yorkshire, England. ... Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the county of West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the county of West Yorkshire, England. ... Leeds is the urban core of the metropolitan borough and city the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Map sources for Wigan at grid reference SD583055 Wigan is a large wasteland in the north-west of England, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, lying in the historic county of Lancashire. ... The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland, is a river in Lancashire in the north west of England. ...

In 1789 Robert Whitworth developed fresh proposals to vary the line of the remaining part of the canal, including a tunnel at Foulridge and a more southerly route in Lancashire. These proposals were authorised by a fresh Act in 1790, together with further fund-raising. In 1794 a further Act was granted authorising yet another change of route, and yet more fund-raising, as Foulridge Tunnel was proving difficult and expensive to dig. It opened in 1796, some 1640 yards (1500m) long. The new route took the canal south via Burnley and Blackburn, but the latter was not reached until 1810. The latest plan for the route had it paralleling the isolated southern end of the Lancaster Canal, but common sense prevailed and the Leeds and Liverpool connected with the Lancaster Canal between Wigan and Johnson's Hillock. The main line of the canal was thus completed in 1816. 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Lancashire is a county in the North of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... Location within the British Isles Burnley is a market town in the east of Lancashire in north-west England with a population of around 74,000. ... 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). ... Lancaster Canal - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Lancaster Canal - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Map sources for Wigan at grid reference SD583055 Wigan is a large wasteland in the north-west of England, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, lying in the historic county of Lancashire. ... 1816 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Having taken almost 40 years to complete, in crossing the Pennines the Leeds and Liverpool had been beaten by the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Rochdale Canal, but the heavy industry along its route, together with the wise decision to build the canal with broad locks, ensured that, unlike the other two transpennine canals, the Leeds and Liverpool maintained commercial traffic well into the leisure era, and there was never any suggestion of closure. Typical Pennine scenery. ... The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs just under 20 miles (35 km) between Huddersfield and Ashton under Lyne through 74 locks. ... A Lock on the Rochdale Canal with water flowing over the gate due to the lack of a side channel. ...

The Liverpool Terminus did not remain at Clarkes's Basin by 1880's Clarkes Basin and the close by Old Hall Street Basin had been cut off by railway lines. The terminus of the cannal had moved by to New Basin. In the 1960's it was cut back from this and in the 1980's cut back even further to make space for the Eldonian village.

Places on the route

• Blackburn
• Foulridge Tunnel
• Parbold
• Appley Bridge
• Saltaire
• Shipley
• Silsden
• Wigan Pier

Location within the British Isles Blackburn is a town in Lancashire, England (2001 census population 105,085: source ONS). ... Foulridge is a small village in the English county of Lancashire, close to the border with West Yorkshire. ... Parbold is a small village in the county of Lancashire. ... Appley Bridge is a small village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester. ... Saltaire mills from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Saltaire is the name of a Victorian era model village in the metropolitan borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. ... Shipley is the name of several places in the United Kingdom: Shipley, Derbyshire Shipley, Northumberland Shipley, Shropshire Shipley, West Sussex Shipley, West Yorkshire Shipley is also the name of these people: Jenny Shipley, ex-Prime Minister of New Zealand Jonathan Shipley, 18th century clergyman Tom Shipley, musician Debra Shipley, British... Silsden is a town in West Yorkshire, England. ... Location within the British Isles. ...

External links

• http://www.liverpool.ndo.co.uk/oldhall/page2.html
• http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ll/
• http://www.snaygillboats.co.uk/
• http://www.redstarline.org.uk/canal.html
• http://www.mmbc.co.uk
• http://www.ukcanals.net