A STRETCH of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Burnley has been named as one of the contenders in a contest to find the Seven Wonders of the Inland Waterways.

The Burnley Embankment, part of which carries the canal over the River Calder, is one of seven contenders in the north west.

The public vote to identify the best stretches of canal in the country has been launched by British Waterways and charity the Waterways Trust.

Voting runs until the end of August.

Dave Fletcher, of British Waterways, said the aim of the contest was to highlight the new roles that canals were playing in everyday life.

He added: "When canals were built more than two centuries ago, their engineers achieved the virtual impossible -- aqueducts so high as to be virtually waterways in the sky, tunnels which slice through miles of rock and staircases of locks which climb the steepest of hills.

"Fifty years ago much of this heritage was at risk, but at the beginning of the 21st century, waterways have once again been evaluated and are once again widely valued, for recreation, as part of our national heritage, providing wildlife habitats and as catalysts for regeneration.

"Simply put, they improve the lives of millions of people in all sorts of ways."

Roger Hanbury, of the Waterways Trust, added: "We would like people to vote for the feature they find the most inspiring, beautiful or unique on the waterways."

People can vote in the competition at www.britishwaterways. co.uk/sevenwonders and at canal events during the summer.

The 60ft high Burnley Embankment is also known as the Straight Mile and to early boatmen as "Burnley Val".

The embankment was designed by Robert Whitworth and begun in 1795.