The Canal Basin from Tithebarn Bridge,Garstang South
NATEBY,Garstang.The old disused Railway crossed the canal,lower picture;a marina has been created there.Top left there is a farm with a LIME KILN still in good condition.At the canal curve there is a stile into farmyard,the limekiln by canal in bushes to left.See effects of lime on these fields over probably 200 years....
LIME KILN,Nateby;The coming of the canal enabled Jurassic scrub to be annihilated and our fields rendered arable.This stone will have come by barge,along with small limestone and coal.Burnt together making slaked lime for mortar to build the farm with,then start neutralising the soil getting rid of all scrub and weeds to plant grain or grass pasture.
LIME KILN,Nateby;So the Lancaster Canal was the key to creating arable farms and builings along it's path - creating civilisation in Lancashire in fact.Tons of stone and coal could be moved easily by one horse along water;one ton on a cart would break wheels and axles as there were just bumpy tracks and no roads.THIS WAS THE M6 of 200 years ago!
Further north at Cabus Nook,another Lime Kiln.The Lancaster Canal was called the BLACK & WHITE canal,being the first canal to be created for the commercial purpose of carrying BLACK coal north from Wigan,and White Limestone south from Kendal and Lancaster.The dust in the barges was BLACK and WHITE and great for firing up LIME KILNS,the key to civilisation in Lancashire 200 years ago.British Waterways took BLACK and WHITE as corporate colours as a result of this origin.
CABUS NOOK;These superb Buildings and perfect arable fields were created from barges loaded with stone and coal 210 years ago from the canal.A coal yard with limekiln,and a farm built with a limekiln created mortar and agricultural soil neutralisation,the effects can still be seen in the quality of the good arable scrubless fields here.
At Richmond,on the right stood a stone lime kiln,recently demised for re-use of it's stone for decorative building.These structures were the key to our agricultural communities being established and built...they are disappearing faster than I can photograph them!
Further north near Double Bridge on the east bank is a large quarry,once substantially used in creating the structure of the canal itself plus buildings at Ellel estate and Galgate.Lime kilns for mortar were situated near the quayside,recently the stones of them taken away for re-use in building,being convenient to load.
Boats moored at Galgate Marina,near the junction of Glasson Branch
Boats moored at Galgate near the junction of Glasson Branch from the stone bridge near Craft Centre
The towpath bridge at the junction of The Glasson Branch,Galgate
GALGATE;The marina at the top by road and railway,the junction below with Glasson Branch.The River Conder leaving the village and mill race winds down the valley beside the Glasson Branch
Ellel Hall,Galgate.River Conder,Galgate Marina and sports fields
Old OS map showing Ellel Hall.Over 200 years ago stone was landed by barge and a quay and inclined ramp with road and yard built by Galgate Bridge.Two large LIME KILNS were constructed,and slaked lime was produced for mortar making and field neutralisation.The coal and limestone came from the canal to build house and farmbuildings,and create the estate in fact....
Over 200 years on:From stone landed by barge this canalside quay and ramp down to the yard and road were built.At the bottom on the right two large lime kilns were built to produce slaked lime for mortar and soil neutralisation.....
Chimney of north kiln:has all but disintegrated over the years by trees growing from sprouts within the stone and bursting the structure apart.An illustration of things going back to nature in the course of maybe 100-150 years
The South chimney:nature has almost completed the task of tree sptouts forcing the stones apart so they explode out and fall to the ground below,leaving the baked ground in a perfect mould even after all these years after the lime and heat turned the ground to concrete around the kiln...
The south-east face of the south kiln is recognisably intact;the draught arch can be clearly seen where the grassed earth has washed through from canal bank.
The draught arch of the south kiln was here.These kilns would have been load-filled from the barges above by the quayside,and fired from here below,the slaked lime being removed from the front afterwards direct into carts and barrows....
This is where the chimney lip of the south kiln was,right beside the canal quay for easy direct loading in...
South chimney lip edge,a crust of naturally produced concrete that formed around the stone chimney hot from burning coal and limestone down to slaked lime.It would have belched out acrid fumes and been dangerous for falling in(maybe non-E.U.compliant!)
Junction of GLASSON BRANCH;The Glasson Branch goes west and connects the Lancaster Canal to the River Lune Estuary, via Glasson Dock.This branch was completed in 1826, some time after the main canal was completed and provided the only link for the canal to the sea until 2002.
The towpath Bridge at the junction with Glasson Branch.The first lock of six can be seen through the arch.Wonderfully masoncrafted from stone quarried nearby at Ellel
Through lock 1,the branch canal can be seen descending slowly towards Glasson Dock and the Lune estuary
lock 2 Glasson Branch
lock 3 Glasson branch
Locks 3 & 4 Glasson branch
lock 4 Glasson branch
locks 5 & 6 Glasson branch
lock 6 Glasson branch
last straight stretch at Thurnham
Glasson Canal and tidal docks showing the Lune at low tide - a difficult channel to navigate,with pilot only for coasters(one is on outer quay )
Looking back from the canal entrance to Glasson Dock inner harbour(British waterways)
Many inshore/sea-going vessels are berthed in the shelter of Glasson inner harbour
A mixture of canal and inshore/sea-going vessels are berthed in the shelter of Glasson inner harbour
Sea-going craft at Glasson inner dock
Yachts,inner harbour,Glasson Dock
Intermediate lock between inner and outer dock Glasson docks
The sea dock at Glasson
Glasson Dock
High water at Glasson
Sea going craft,inner harbour,Glasson.A dull day but still very pretty!
Aerial view of Lancaster,centred on the canal basin.
The canal running NNE beside the Lune through Lancaster.Above the Skerton Tidal Weir(centre)it turns north-west over the impressive John Rennie designed LUNE AQUEDUCT.Then meandering off along the northern limits towards Hest Bank.
The superb LUNE AQUEDUCT designed and engineered by John Rennie.There were lives lost and many injured during the building of this masterpiece;it went five times over budget and as a result the Ribble aqueduct at Preston was never built - so the two sections were never joined and the Lancaster Canal was never completed as alas - the coming of the railways precluded that quite happening
THE LUNE AQUEDUCT,the pride of Lancaster.Built by hand with NO MACHINES,every stone hand chipped and manually carted here;lifted, placed and set to last into perpetuity.British workmanship at it's best.212 years later,still functioning perfectly!
Looking across this superb aqueduct towards the bridge at Halton side,where the canal turns north-west.
The Lune looking downstream from the aqueduct parapet.The river is not tidal here due to the barrage formed by the Skerton Tidal Weir,just beyond the bend.
Looking down the Lune at Lancaster on a calm February day
A good view along the Aqueduct from under bridge 108 Halton Road.It had been a frosty morning,February 4th.The Pike anglers were out and catching.The basin on left is a favourite spot apparently...
Pike anglers on a frosty morning;the Lune aqueduct from Halton Road bridge
The Lune aqueduct from up above
Looking up the Lune towards Crook o't Lune and Bowland Forest beyond;from John Rennie's lovely stone aqueduct...
Up the Lune over aqueduct parapet to Bowland...
Sturdy,functional decorative,ornate.Every stone chipped to size,placed and set by hand.The foundations built with the River in(less)water.Still in good working order after 212 years.Thank you John Rennie and the hundreds of men who laboured to build this elegant masterpiece of engineering.
The Lune Aqueduct from the east bank
The Lune and the Bulk aqueducts,Lancaster Canal,Halton and Bulk.
Over the canal towpath hedge a glimpse of the lakeland hills across Morecambe Bay.North of Lancaster,before Hest Bank
HEST BANK;The canal comes so close to the sea here,in the early days before the Glasson Branch,smaller craft would beach and trans-ship certain goods to and from the canal,tides permitting
Hest Bank houses in view over the canal hedgerow...
BOLTON le SANDS,the canal comes quite near the coast of Morecambe bay here also.It is a pretty spot,these days there are caravan sites for holidaymakers and tourers
Morecambe Bay on the horizon from towpath of canal
BOLTON le SANDS - The sands of Morecambe Bay are indeed very close behind the houses.The sea air is lovely on this fine September day.
BOLTON le SANDS,the South Lakes hills in the background
BOLTON le SANDS,lovely spot!
CARNFORTH Marina and railway station.Once a very busy industrial canal port...
Looking north-east along the wharf at Carnforth.To the right is the marina.The Pub on my left does very good food.A Trip boat service calls here in season running down to Lancaster and up to Tewitfield
The picturesque Carnforth;marina on the left fuel ahead,Good Food Pub on my right.Very busy in holiday season.
Iced in at CARNFORTH,January 2010. picture coutesy of LCT member via PicNic on twitter Thank you
CARNFORTH North East,canal meanders nort-east following contour.Fortunately they built bridges over the canal for these roads!
CAPERNWRAY and OVER KELLET
BORWICK and CAPERNWRAY
BORWICK and TEWITFIELD.The Cinderwray culverts are just above the picture - where the M6 was allowed to sever the Lancaster Canal in the 1960s.Since this photo a large Marina has been built at Tewitfield near the present end of navigable canal,top of picture.
New marina under construction, TEWITFIELD
TEWITFIELD,Presently the end of navigable canal,however a restoration plan is under way...Please SEE: http://www.lctrust.co.uk/
TEWITFIELD,the end of navigable canal here presently,but action is happening towards the restoration,please SEE: http://www.lctrust.co.uk/
The completed Tewitfield Marina 2011
