Leeds and Liverpool Canal Route

Description of the Route

Mainline

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal starts in Leeds at the Junction with the Aire and Calder Navigation and stretches for 127 miles to the Eldonian Basin in Liverpool.

From Leeds to Bingley the canal climbs through several staircase locks including the famous 5-rise staircase locks at Bingley.  The 17 mile pound takes the canal through Skipton where the Springs Branch diverges to the right.  Shortly after Skipton the climb to the summit level continues with locks at Gargrave, Bank Newton and Greenberfield.

The summit level is just over 5 miles long and passes through Foulridge tunnel, some 1640 yards (1500 metres) long.

The descent into Lancashire begins with the seven locks at Barrowford.  At Burnley the canal crosses from one side of the valley to the other on an embankment, often called the Burnley Straight Mile.  The second and shorter tunnel is Gannow Tunnel, just 559 yards (511 metres) long.  The descent continues through further locks until Wigan.

At Wigan the canal descends through 21 locks to the junction with the Leigh Branch and then a further 2 locks whichever way you turn.  Shortly after the bottom lock is Wigan Pier, made famous in George Orwell's book "The Road to Wigan Pier".

The locks between Wigan and Liverpool are well spaced out and the final route into Liverpool is level.  Although the canal passes alongside Aintree Racecourse there are only occasional glimpses through gaps in the high wall.

Leigh Branch

The Leigh Branch diverges near the bottom of the Wigan flight and has just 2 locks.  The canal is above its surroundings for much of the route where the land has collapsed with mining subsidence.

At Leigh the canal meets end on with the Bridgewater Canal which is owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company.

Rufford Branch

The Rufford Branch heads northwards from Burscough Junction.  It descends through 7 locks to Tarleton where the 8th lock provides access to the tidal River Douglas.  Under the right conditions a boat can pass onto the River Ribble and cross through the Ribble Link to the Lancaster Canal.

Stanley Dock Branch

The Stanley Dock Branch descends through 4 locks into Stanley Dock where a route through further docks leads to the River Mersey.

An extension is planned to take the canal past the Liver Buildings and the Pier Head to Albert Dock, a major tourist attraction in Liverpool.

Photo Gallery

Visit the Photo Gallery

History

Authorised in Parliament in 1770, construction began quickly on the Yorkshire side with the lock free section between Bingley and Skipton which took just three years to complete. This lock free section was later extended westwards to Gargrave.

The route was extended eastwards, with the addition of locks, to meet the Aire and Calder in Leeds. The Yorkshire route followed the Aire valley from Leeds to Gargrave where it turned southwards to cross the summit.

Construction continued separately at the Lancashire end where there were many disagreements about the preferred route. The section from Liverpool to Wigan was the first to be completed. This gave access to the Wigan coalfields and the locks on this section were built 10 feet (3 metres) longer than the rest of the canal to accommodate Mersey barges.

The Wigan flight of locks was constructed to join with what was then the southern section of the Lancaster canal and this canal was used for 10 miles (16 kilometres) to Johnson’s Hillock locks where the Leeds and Liverpool took its own route over the summit to Gargrave.

The through route was completed 46 years after being authorised in Parliament. In October 1816 a flotilla of boats left Leeds and completed the first through journey to Liverpool.

Four years later, in 1820, the Leigh Branch was constructed to join with the Bridgewater canal at Leigh.

The Rufford Branch was opened in 1781, although the handsome bridge at the entrance was built with the construction of the mainline in 1816.

Opened in 1846 the Stanley Dock Branch allowed access to Stanley Dock and, through further docks, the River Mersey.

In 1993/94 the canal was shortened by ¾ mile (1200 metres) at the Liverpool end when the Eldonian village was constructed in a regeneration programme for a much run-down area of Liverpool.

Links

Boat Hire Companies

• Pennine Cruisers, The Boat Shop, 19 Coach Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1LH
• Silsden Boats, Canal Wharf, Elliot Street, Silsden, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 0DE
• Snaygill Boats, Skipton Road, Bradley, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD20 9HA

Boat Trips

• Pennine Boat Trips, Waterside Court, Coach Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1LH

General

• Canal Junction
• Ice Boats of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
• Jim Shead
• Leeds and Liverpool Canal Society
• Mike Clarke's Leeds and Liverpool Canal Page
• Pennine Waterways
• Waterscape
• Waterscape Map

Dimensions and Features

Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Whole Route (including branches)
Length: Beam: Headroom: Speed Limit	60' 0" 14' 0" 8' 0" 4 mph	18.29 m 4.27 m 2.44 m 6.4 kph		Locks: Miles: Moveable Bridges: Tunnels: Hours (single journey):	111 143 (230 km) 58 2 89
Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Leeds to Wigan
Length: Beam: Headroom: Speed Limit	62' 0" 14' 3" 8' 6" 4 mph	18.90 m 4.34 m 2.59 m 6.4 kph		Locks: Miles: Moveable Bridges: Tunnels: Hours (single journey):	91 94 (151 km) 39 2 63
Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Wigan to Liverpool
Length: Beam: Headroom: Speed Limit	72' 0" 14' 3" 8' 0" 4 mph	21.95 m 4.34 m 2.44 m 6.4 kph		Locks: Miles: Moveable Bridges: Tunnels: Hours (single journey):	6 35 (56 km) 18 0 16
Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Rufford Branch
Length: Beam: Headroom: Speed Limit:	62' 0" 14' 3" 8' 0" 4 mph	18.90 m 4.34 m 2.44 m 6.4 kph		Locks: Miles: Moveable Bridges: Tunnels: Hours (single journey):	8 7 (12 km) 0 0 5
Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Leigh Branch
Length: Beam: Headroom: Speed Limit:	72' 0" 14' 0" 8' 0" 4 mph	21.95 m 4.26 m 2.44 m 6.4 kph		Locks: Miles: Moveable Bridges: Tunnels: Hours (single journey):	2 7 (12 km) 1 0 4
Leeds and Liverpool Canal - Stanley Dock Branch
Length: Beam: Headroom: Speed Limit:	68' 6" 16' 6" 9' 0" 4 mph	20.88 m 6.03 m 2.74 m 6.4 kph		Locks: Miles: Moveable Bridges: Tunnels: Hours (single journey):	4 1/4 (1/4 km) 0 0 1

Operator

British Waterways
	Yorkshire		Leeds to Bridge 158
Address:	Fearns Wharf Neptune Street Yorkshire LS9 8PB		Phone: Fax: Email:	0113 281 6860 0113 281 6886 enquiries.yorkshire@ britishwaterways.co.uk
	North West		Bridge 159 to Liverpool
Address:	Waterside House Waterside Drive Wigan Lancashire WN3 5AZ		Phone: Fax: Email:	01942 405 700 01942 405 710 enquiries.northwest@ britishwaterways.co.uk
	General
BW Emergency:	0800 47 999 47