The Canal
 

Hi, we all take the canal at Church, and elsewhere for granted, but just listen to this ...

One of the most important undertakings of the 18th century was the construction of the Leeds and Liverpool canal. The canal is 103.3/4miles long and in July 1770, work began at both ends. In May 1796, the canal was opened between Burnley and Enfield, and the length between Enfield and Blackburn opened in June 1810 and the whole length in October 1816. The canal took 46 years in construction and cost £1,200,000.

The canal speedily became a popular means of travelling. Passenger boats, known as Packet Boats, Packet Inns, and Packet Houses became popular. At nights the boats were illuminated by oil lamps and very often a musician on board. Generally, a local fiddler travelled from one Packet Station to another and back again by boat, hoping that passengers would throw a copper or two into "hat"

Re: The Canal
 

It sounds wonderful, Atarah - why can't we have that now? I am still working on the idea of an Accywebbers trip down the canal - I don't think they can do you for being drunk in charge of a barge!

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Have you checked out Foulridge to see if they still do trips from there?

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they do was over there 2 weeks ago.

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I think you can still get barge trips from Botany Bay near Chorley. They come with driver included so everyone can enjoy it and get ****ed.

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you can still get them in the summer from eanam

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Its a shame as its now used as a dumping ground for trollies and cars.

I remember not to long ago when they drained part of the canal at blackburn. that was a mad site.

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The Marton Emporor runs all year round allegedly !!

http://www.bardenmillshop.co.uk/

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yeah they drained it near the infirmary, it looked awful

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Sections of the canal have to be drained during the winter for essential maintenance works (fitting new lock gates, cills etc.) to be carried out. Quite a busy period for them as works on t'cut. :s_pirate:

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love going for walks on the canal in the summer, once walked to blackburn from ossy and we were all knackered took about 4/5 hours to get there.....lol:blink8:

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Trolleys, cars, bikes, tyres, dead dogs, bodies, bags of kittens.....:angry8:

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It's great to cycle on the canal during summer when it's warm and the breeze blows in your face. You can stop of at several pubs on route and have a pint........my type of day out !

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i like taking reece on the canal on our bikes, we cycle down to the hare and hounds at ossy and head for blackburn, we get off at the range (what used to be b&q), going through rishton, it takes just over 2 hours

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Hope you dont drink to much.:D

I know wouldnt like to fall in to the canal.:D

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we often walk church- rishton on a sunny afternoon with oscar, pop up to the roebuck in rishton and sit at the picnic tables with a drink, before the return journey, as willow says a walk on the cut gives a differant perspective of the towns.;)

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Is that what 'the cut' means Cashman? always wondered.

Hey, made me look it up and says 'other channel of water, from the idea that it was cut out of the earth'

Sometimes, you take names for granted, without really thinking what they mean, even though they are obvious.

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see,bet ya didnt know i was educated.:D

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You want to try going in the opposite direction towards Burnley, I think it's a lot more picturesque.

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Ever headed in the direction of Burnley, the countryside is a lot better ?

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I'm cycling from Liverpool to Leeds along the canal over 2 days and I know Church is the official midpoint. (127 miles total) Anyone know of any memorials or things to see connected with the canal in Church to mark the achievement of the navvies and the engineers?

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The Rishton histyorian Kathleen Broderick told me that Cut Wood, Rishton has niothing to do with the '.cut' being the name for the canal. It was so called long before the canal came through.
I like hill walking along any canal bank. The Lancaster Canal runs from Preston to South of Kendal through great countryside.

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There is a marker at the half way point which incorporates figures drawn by children at the nearby St Nicholas school, and a broad band of cobbles which stretches across the towpath.

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As an apprentice at Lang Bridge I cycled with a chap called Ted Riley on a tandem from the bridge at Whalley rd Clayton to Steiners at Church then accross to India st and up Lonsdale st and then back at 5.30. One morning in spring we got a wobble on and finished in the canal still when't on to work very wet.

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You would have to get off your bike at Enfield wharf to get to the other side of the cut, to carry on to Church,

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There is also a tunnel at gannow in Burnley which you cannot go through,just follow the road to the large roundabout go under on the paths and over the hill,when you get to the top of the hill you can see the canal again and it's all down hill from there.

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the canal is a great place to get away from it all just wish it was a bit easier to walk on we need better foot paths @ more places to sit along the way cus if you are a more mature person its nice to sit and relax here @ there :)

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Atarah. We used to own Church Motors that operated from the old wharf. Used to see barges coming from Blackburn loaded with munitions, but covered with tarpaulin. The bargees had a few potatoes on the roof of the accommodation section. The local lads used to ask what they were carrying. "Bloody spuds again" Came the reply. So the locals used to say "More spuds for Adolph Hitler"

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Very beautiful. Frank

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I walked from Halfway point t'Clayton and back yesterday and took some photo's:

A Humped Bridge, not far from the Half-way Point

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6614.jpg

63 1/4 miles to Leeds.. 64 miles to Liverpool

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6619.jpg

Rileys Swing Bridge

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6627.jpg

The Masonic Hall at Clayton-le-Moors

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6643.jpg

Old Cars

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6645.jpg

Canal Bridge

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6648.jpg

A Signet - the green in the water is from the bridge above..

http://www.justcode.co.uk/images/lee...canal-6653.jpg