URPoint Details
127 miles long and thought to be the finest in England, with spectacular Pennine views, fascinating staircases of locks and the sturdy architecture of mills, warehouses and cottages. Constructed between 1700 and 1816, it rapidly became one of the most prosperous canals in the country and played a major part in bringing industry to the towns through which it passed.
The Burnley section includes the 'Straight Mile', the impressive embankment which carries the canal 60 feet above the town, the 559 yard Gannow Tunnel and the Yorkshire Street 'Culvert', one of the costliest and most difficult sections to construct.
However, it created wealth in the town and provided the much needed link with the great cities of Manchester and Liverpool.
Today, the canal is used mainly for recreational purposes, and with plans for the development of Burnley Wharf as a leisure area, the future of the canal is secure and remains a unique feature of Burnley's industrial past.
- Type:
- Landmark