Will we ever leave the Lancaster Canal behind?

Wednesday, 22 July 2009 21:46

The last sight of the Lancaster Canal from Epiphany

We have come to the end of the southern section of the Lancaster Canal at Walton Summit Arm. The southern section was originally planned to continue to West Houghton. In the event, because of financial problems and differences of opinions with neighbouring canals, it never reached West Houghton but finished at Wigan. The Arm had one tunnel - Whittle Hill Tunnel which caved in several times and was made into two tunnels in 1838.

The northern section (not to be confused with The Northern Reaches, now derelict) at Preston was never joined to the southern section by canal. It was linked to the Walton Summit by a tram road of about 5 miles. The tram road was carried over the River Ribble by a bridge

The original was washed away by floods but another was built and the remains can still be seen, in use as a footbridge. The tram road was opened in 1803 and made the canal very prosperous. The freight was put into wagons at Preston Basin, they were then hauled along the tram road by horses and reloaded into barges at Walton. The Walton Summit Branch took the barges down to the bottom of Johnson's Hill locks and onto the section that is now the Leeds and Liverpool to Wigan.

The end of the existing re-watered arm (but un-navigable) is crossed by the road into Johnson's Hillock villlage

Apparently the in-filled line can be seen from the M61. When I wandered down the re-watered arm I was immediately back on the Lanky! It felt so similar. I think I used the word "intimate" to describe bits of the Lanky and this felt the same.

There were some lovely spots

There is a car park at the end and the towpath is pretty good

The swans were enjoying it too

This amused me - so much you cannot do beside this canal!

Looking back from the bridge at the entrance as I said "farewell" to the Lancaster Canal

Our evening view