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third, thirty-sixth, and forty-first of George the Third. It commences at the town of Kirkby Kendal, in Westmoreland, having a feeder from a rivulet about a mile from that town. Proceeding thence directly southwards, it enters Lancashire, near Burton, having passed under ground for about half a mile, near Midway. At Borwick, a little south of Burton, it sinks to its mid-level, which it preserves for several miles, making for this purpose a very winding course, in some places approaching almost close to the sea beach. At Lancaster it is carried over the river Loyne by a most surprising Aqueduct Bridge of five arches. [This will be described in the following account of Lancaster.] Near Preston it is carried over the Ribble by another Aqueduct-Bridge, and again at Garstang over the Wyre. Near Bethorn it is carried over the Beeloo, and in the vicinity of Wigan it passes under the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, by an Aqueduct of about sixty feet high. After passing Preston, it ascends, through a series of locks, to its highest level, on which it proceeds, a little to the eastward of Chorley, across the Douglas, through Haigh, noted for its cannel pits; and, bending to the eastward of Wigan, arrives at its termination at West Houghton. The fall from Kendal to the mid-level is sixty-five feet, and the rise thence, as it advances southwardly, is two hundred and twenty-two feet. A collateral cut in the neighbourhood of Chorley is about three miles in length, and another near Borwick is nearly two and a half miles long. The principal object of this Canal is to open a ready and reasonable communication between the coal and lime-stone countries, thereby interchanging and conveying these articles to different places; and to open the port of Lancaster to other populous towns on the north and south. All the country north of Preston is destitute of coal, and the Canal is directed through a district abounding with this valuable mineral, from West Houghton to Whittle Hills. From Kendal to Lancaster, nearly the whole country consists of limestone; and on Lancaster Moor, some good free-stone is obtained.

From

From the Bason to Greenhead Farm, 5m. 1f. Ic. 201. is level.

Thence to a spot near Borwick····9

Borwick to near Preston. . . . . .

Preston to near Clayton Green.

...

Clayton Green to West Houghton 15

1 7 75 falls 65 feet.

42

5 1

28

level.

....

3

0 5

75

rises 222 feet.

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This Canal is on an average seven feet deep; the boats are fiftysix feet long, fourteen feet wide, and carry sixty tons. There are two tunnels on its course; one at Hincaster near Leven's Park, of about eight hundred yards long, and another through the Whittle Hills near Chorley, which proved extremely difficult to execute; and at Ashton near Lancaster, there is an amazingly deep piece of cutting. The part of the line between Wheelton, near Clayton Green, and the south end of the long level, is at present supplied with a rail way. Mr. James Brindley was employed, in 1772, to survey a part of this line: the whole of it was soon afterwards surveyed by Mr. Robert Whitworth; and in 1791, Mr. John Rennie was employed to proceed with, and complete the works. To the science and good sense of this skilful artist, are the Lancastrians indebted for the astonishing Aqueduct-Bridge near Lancaster, and for several other contrivances in the progress of this undertaking. The Lancaster Canal Company is authorised to raise 414,000l. in 1001. shares, and 200,000l. more in shares of 301. each. In July, 1796, the last arch of the great Aqueduct-Bridge was completed. In September, 1805, it was stated that the shares divided 11. per cent. From Bolton to Lancaster, and thence to Preston, the canal was opened in 1797; and in a few years afterwards the whole of the long level was completed. In June, 1803, the Whittle-tunnel was finished, and 13 mile of the rail-way; so that coals passed from West Houghton to Bramber Bridge; and in 1805, the remainder of the rail-way was opened for conveying

coals

coals to Preston, Lancaster, &c. The rates of tonnage are for coals 1 d. per ton, per mile; for lime-stone, salt, slate, brick, stone, iron-ore, clay, manures, &c. d. per ton, per mile; for lime and iron, 1d. per ton, per mile; for timber, wares, and merchandise, 2d. per ton, per mile. Coals are not to pass the intended locks north of Chorley, under 2s. 3d. per ton, after paying which they are free for eighteen miles.*

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal takes a long meandring course through this county, and is intended to unite the ports of Liverpool and Hull. Tracing it from the north-east towards the south-west, we find it enter Lancashire a little north of the town of Colne, near which it crosses the grand ridge by means of a tunnel at Foulridge. This is 1630 yards in length, and 23 yards below the highest point of the hill; the soil of which proved so loose, that only 700 yards could be worked under ground; the remainder was obliged to be opened from above, from ten to twenty yards deep, and twenty to thirty yards wide at the top. The sides of the excavation were supported by timber, at an immense labour and expense, to prevent the earth falling in, until the tunnel-arch was constructed. This is eighteen feet high, and seventeen feet wide within side, and is formed with stone. This tunnel was completed, and the line opened to Burnley, May 1st, 1796. At Furnloy, near Burnley, is another Tunnel, which was finished in May 1801.

The chief objects of conveyance on this Canal are, common and cannel coal, lime-stone, merchandise, and the agricultural products in its vicinity. At Brier's Mill it connects with the Douglas navigation, (which now belongs to the Company of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, by purchase, under an Act of the twenty-third of George the Third.) Near Bark-Mill, not far from Wigan, it crosses the Lancaster cut by means of an Aqueduct Bridge, which is sixty feet above that Canal. At Church it connects with the Haslingdon Canal, at Shipton with Thanet's Navigation, and at VOL. IX. Windhill

C

* “A plan of the proposed Lancaster Canal, surveyed by John Rennie in 1791 and 1792," may be had of Mr. Faden, Charing-Cross.

Windhill with the Bradford Canal. Collateral cuts branch off to Ighton-Hill collieries; another to Mr. Waltham's Altham-collieries; and provision is made for cuts to be opened by the Earl of Balcarras and Mr. Shuttleworth, between their coal-works and the line. The old bason at Liverpool is fifty two feet above low water mark in the Mersey river. Thence to Newborough, twentyeight miles, the water is level; to Wigan, seven miles, it is raised by five locks, thirty feet. This last length is sometimes called the Upper Douglas Navigation, as it originally constituted a part of that concern. From the last place to Bradshaw-Hill, near Asperle, is three miles; and in that short space the level is raised two hundred and seventy-nine feet by twenty-eight locks. Thence to the Aqueduct over the Derwent, near Blackburn, is a level of 19 miles: thence to Grimshaw Park, near Blackburn, only three quarters of a mile, are seven locks, raising it 54 feet. From this place to the end of the deviation at Barrowford, near Colne, is a level of twenty-four miles. The next three quarters of a mile carries it up 673 feet by seven locks, when it enters the FoulridgeTunnel, and thence descends, by several locks, to Leeds. The locks on this Canal are 70 feet long, by 15 feet wide; and the barges employed are keel bottomed, and carry thirty tons of goods. Between Leeds and Wigan, one hundred flats, of fortytwo tons burthen, are employed in the coal trade; and passage boats are in constant use between those places.

Near the north-east extremity of Liverpool are very spacious Wharfs and Warehouses, connected with the canal. The first survey for this navigation was made by Mr. Longbottom in 1767; which was revised by Mr. James Brindley, in 1768, under whose auspices it was then begun. After this gentleman, Mr. Robert Whitworth and Mr. Fletcher were employed. The western end of the line was completed from Liverpool to the Douglas old navigation at Newborough, a distance of twenty-eiglit miles, in 1770; and in 1774, it was completed as far as Wigan. The Company was authorised by their Acts of Parliament, (tenth, twenty-third, thirtieth, and thirty-fourth of George the Third,) to raise 600,0001. in shares of 1001. The rate of tonnage on lime-stone, and other

stone,

stones, is d. per ton, per mile; on coals and lime 1d. ; and on all other articles 14d. per ton, per mile. No wharfage to be taken unless goods remain six hours.

To open a navigation between the eastern and western seas, by means of the rivers Aire and Ribble, had been often proposed and strenuously recommended, before the above Canal was begun. But this great desideratum has been at length effected; and a Canal has now been made between the towns of Liverpool and Leeds, including a line of 1073 miles, and communicating at thre latter place with the river Aire, and at the former with the river Mersey, both of which are navigable to the German Ocean on the east, and to the Irish Sea on the west. The fall of water in this course, from the high ridge of mountains which divide Lancashire and Yorkshire, is 527 feet westward; and 446 feet eastward.

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Manchester, Bolton, and Bury Canal, is authorised by Acts of Parliament, passed in the thirty-first and forty-first of George the Third, and takes a north-westerly direction from the former to the latter town. Its northern end is considerably elevated, and its whole course comprehends a line of 15 miles 1 furlong. It commences at the Mersey and Irwell navigation, near the junction of Medlock-brook, at Manchester, and terminates at the town of Bolton. At Bury is a branch of four miles in length, to join the Haslington Canal. From the Mersey and Irwell, is a rise of several locks to the bason in Salford parish: thence for about four miles it pursues a level course. In the next three miles are twelve locks, and the remaining track is level, including the branch to Bury. The whole rise is 187 feet. Previous to the year 1794, this cut was begun, and several locks were built for narrow boats; but in consequence of other wider Canals being joined to it, these locks were taken up and rebuilt. In its course are two Aqueduct Bridges over the Irwell, at Clifton-Hall, near Stocks: and another over the Leven at Longfold. In 1797, this Canal was completed to Bolton (except the locks near the Mersey and Irwell navigation). On the 17th of August, 1799, great damage was done by a flood, which carried away above one hundred yards of its lower banks. The rates are, for coals, lime-stone, stone, bricks,

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