Today the Lancaster Canal stretches 42 miles from Preston to Tewitfield but once ran all the way to Kendal. The canal forms the northern boundary of Haslam Park and with the opening of the Ribble Link is now connected to the National Inland Waterways Network.
In the mid 1700s raw materials and goods could only be transported either by Toll Roads or the Port of Lancaster. Due to the silting up of the River Lune and the poor state of the roads a group of Lancaster merchants proposed construction of a new canal in 1772. John Rennie was appointed canal engineer and following his survey construction began in 1792.
|
Canal building was carried out by navigators or 'navvies' who dug the canal by hand with basic tools, picks and spades. The work was hard and to earn 2 shillings and 2 pennies (11p) they had to work 10 hours a day. The channel was then lined with a metre of puddled clay which was trampled by the navvies to compact it and make it waterproof.
The canal was built in 2 sections. The southern section from Wigan to South of Preston and then the northern section horn Preston to Kendal. The original plan was to connect the two sections by an aqueduct over the River Ribble but due to lack of funds the cheaper alternative of a Tram Road was constructed. Wagons pulled by ponies transferred the cargo between South Preston (Walton Summit) across the Ribble to Preston.
|
The main cargoes carried by the boats were limestone from the north and coal from the south. The canal became known as the Black and White Canal. During the industrial revolution coal was needed to provide power to many of the cotton mills around Preston. Limestone was used for building materials and fertiliser for the Fylde area.
Passenger boats ran from Preston to Kendal in 1820 and travelled the 51 miles in 14 hours. In 1833 a new express boat, 'The Water Witch 2' cut the journey time to 10 hours and carried 100 passengers. It was pulled by two horses which were changed every four miles. One of the horses was ridden by a boy.
|