A photo taken in 2016. A view of Shipley Wharf, on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, looking towards Liverpool.

Two centuries ago the canal was in use. This view would have looked very similar, though the sky would likely have been full of the smoke from the factory chimneys. The narrow boats would have been cargo carriers, pulled by horses, unlike the leisure vessels in the photo.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal

The canal was constructed in stages between 1770 and 1816, to move goods and merchandise between the factories and the harbour at Liverpool. Crossing the Pennines it required some innovative engineering. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is the longest single company canal in the UK, at 127 miles (204 km) in length.

Modern Day Use

Like most canals in modern day UK, the Leeds and Liverpool is manged by the Canal and River Trust. It is used for leisure boating, mainly by narrow boats, but also by other boats and canoes.

This post has been rewritten. It was originally posted in March 2017.

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