LEEDS and LIVERPOOL CANAL - E.4. - KEIGHLEY to LEEDS

The famous Bingley Five Rise staircase Locks

From Riddlesden, up the hill NE out of Keighley,over the Aire,the canal winds along the contour above golf courses and parkland into quiet countryside.After quite a few swing bridges,suddenly there is a great staircase of locks,the BINGLEY FIVE-RISE,each running in to the next like steps-a masterpiece of engineering,built in 1774.Not much further on is a THREE-RISE staircase of locks,right by the impressive Damart mill with chimney seen over the Five-rise before.Leaving urban Bingley behind,through the green Dowley Gap locks stretch,then crossing the Aire over a huge stone aqueduct.We then see a smart mill with township,built in 1850 by Sir Titus Salt - called SALTAIRE.On through Shipley passing the junction with former Bradford Branch by Gallows Bridge.Then we drop slowly down beside the Aire passing Apperley Bridge,Rodley and Kirkstall.A branch went to a power station there,today full of boats moored in quiet woodland. Finally arriving at River Lock at Granary Wharf,we reach Leeds.

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Barry arrives at River Lock,Granary Wharf,LEEDS.

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LEEDS and LIVERPOOL CANAL - E.3 - BARNOLDSWICK to KIEGHLEY

Probably the most scenic stretch of this canal;leaving the summit pound at Top Lock Greenberfield near Barnoldswick,the descent through the Yorkshire Dales begins after having climbed through Lancashire to 480ft above sea level.Through rough and rugged countryside the canal winds around Gargrave,locking down over the Aire to picturesque Skipton.The Springs branch runs off here behind the castle,well worth a look - maybe on a trip boat....At canal turn the canal meanders above the Aire up on the shoulder of the valley.There was flooding, so there were freak expanses of water.At Bradley Ings only the Railway embankment was visible at one stage(2007).Then on via Farnhill,Silsden to Keighley following the contours with not many locks but several swing bridges.A very hard ride in places,but breathtaking scenery.Many people were also enjoying their leisure and holidays all along this beautiful stretch of canal.



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LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL - E.2 - Blackburn to Barnoldswick

BLACKBURN was a grimy, smokey,noisy town in the days of the Industrial Revolution;there were 200 chimneys belching smoke and fumes out...but not so today.Enjoy cruising into the East Lancashire countryside,view full album on:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Bazizfoters/LEEDSLIVERPOOLCANALE2BlackburnToBarnoldswick#

Leaving Blackburn the canal has few locks but many winding bends through Rishton towards Hapton.There are brick kilns and big holes left by clay mining;in the Industrial revolution there was massive production of Accrington brick exported by the canal to build canalside mills and their housing.Towards Padiham and Burnley there was much quarrying with heavy cargo carried by barges.The Gannow Tunnel goes under a hill emerging in the Weavers Triangle mill area,along the massive embankment out to rural countryside.Thence begins the climb beside lovely Pendle views up Barrowford locks via Foulridge Tunnel to the summit pound some 480ft above sea level .At Barnoldswick we are crossing the Pennines out of Lancashire down into Yorkshire.
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LEEDS and LIVERPOOL CANAL - E.1 Top Lock Wigan to Blackburn

White Bear Marina at Adlington

At the top of Wigan flight,we meet the level pound dug as the Lancaster Canal but later leased and becoming used by The Leeds and Liverpool Co.For details Haigh to Chorley see album:Lancaster Canal Southern Section:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Bazizfoters/LANCASTERCANALSOUTHERNSECTIONS1HaighAdlingtonAndChorley#

At Johnsons Hillock the canal turns off leaving the former Lancaster line towards Blackburn North-eastwards up the seven locks to Wheelton,quite an exhausting task.The Top Lock pub is a very welcome respite at the top and a good mooring point with BW sanitation and watering facilities.There is then a level pound passing Withnell Fold, and Riley Green.The Contour canal winds through rural countryside to Cherry tree,where the Industrial buildings of Blackburn and several locks begin after an aqueduct over the river Darwen.

The canal was very important to the Blackburn mills and factories in years gone by,many have been adapted to modern uses preserving the canalside character between modern retail centres superceding decrepit parts demolished.More on Blackburn later...

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LEEDS and LIVERPOOL CANAL - W.1,Liverpool to Junction Bridge,Lathom.

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From the Mersey,the canal now begins with the new Liverpool link through the Docks area,recently completed and opened.From Stanley Docks the canal rises sharply up 4 big locks,turning behind Bootle,Litherland and Aintree.In it's heyday this part of the canal was once VERY busy ,but in 2007 was in quite a derelict state prior to the new Dockland link improvements.
Hooking round to Melling, Maghull,and Lydiate.Then winding on to Haskayne,Scarisbrick and eastwards towards the busy junction at Junction Bridge,Lathom,near Burscough.Here the Rufford branch to Tarleton leads off northwards,locking down towards the Douglas tidal lock at Tarleton.Eastwards from Lathom,the main canal picks up the line of the original Douglas Navigation via Parbold,Gathurst and Crooke towards Wigan and on towards Leeds.
A big thankyou to Joe Neary,exacta2a on Flickr for allowing me to use his superb photos of the link section,he holds copyright to them C2009 exacta2a.See his album on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/exacta2a/sets/72157607249994929/

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LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL CANAL - W.3 - Lathom Junction Bridge to WIGAN Top Lock

This section running Eastwards from Burscough Junction was originally the course of the River Douglas in most part;a river made navigable by modifying the original channel and adding locks.This was done on a budget and not very well so was soon troubled by silting up.Because Wigan produced so much coal,the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Co built a better canal alongside and around most of it adapting and using some of the river locks to handle the busy traffic and conserve water,as the Douglas's original source is reservoir overflow and much water was used by industry so the navigation could run short.A branch runs off from Wigan to Leigh meeting the Bridgewater Canal,then the main line climbs the 21 (exhausting) locks up to meet the Lancaster South end pound at top lock,near Bark Hill.

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LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL CANAL - W.2. RUFFORD BRANCH - Tarleton to Lathom Junction

This canal now known as the Rufford branch of the Leeds & Liverpool,was historically part of the Douglas Navigation that ran from Wigan to the Ribble estuary,carrying millions of tons of coal along a poorly constructed river navigation that quite soon suffered from silting.Because of the importance of the route,from the tidal Douglas entry lock at Tarleton southwards,the Leeds & Liverpool Co adapted parts of it,namely from Sollom to the A59,and dug a fresh channel with better locks down to the main line Liverpool-Leeds near Burscough at Junction Bridge.The River Douglas was rerouted and banked up to assist drainage and land reclamation - the whole area had originally been under meres and lakes so changing levels also affected the plans.
Rufford now has two large marinas,always quite full of boats since this branch became a main access route linking the Leeds-Liverpool and other canal systems across the Douglas and Ribble estuary to the Millenium Ribble Link.The link's opening in 2002 enabled visiting the previously isolated Lancaster Canal making the Rufford branch quite popular recently.The canal complex at Lathom junction near Burscough,built C 1812, features cottages, a dry dock and an unusual stone towpath bridge amongst lovely original buildings and structures.

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