Lancaster Canal.

The first section of the Preston to Lancaster Canal ran for 42 miles and included a splendid aqueduct over the River Lune. It was opened in 1797. It took coal northwards and limestone south. From 1798 to 1833 Swift Boats carried 120 passengers at 10 m.p.h. Between Preston and Lancaster. A remarkable speed for canalboats.

The canal was extended a further 14 miles to Kendal and was an important link to the town.

By 1944 the Kendal section stopped being used for trade and it went into a sad decline some of it being used for landfill. It seemed that a final blow had been struck in the 1960s when the M6 motorway was built across its route.

The Lancaster Canal Trust has worked now for many years in co-operation with other bodies to restore the Kendal section. Thanks to the work of many volunteers some sections have been filled with water and towpaths restored. There is a plan for the whole length but it will take many years and large amounts of money. But it is amazing what enthusiasm can achieve.