WITHIN a decade, canal boats will be able to sail to Cumbria from Blackburn and Burnley, for the first time in 200 years.
North West Euro MP Chris Davies, says that once the Ribble Link in Preston is built to connect the previously isolated Lancaster Canal with inland waterways to the south, it will mean enthusiasts will be able to get to Kendal from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
The Lancaster Canal was never connected by water to the rest of the canal network. What was originally intended as a 16-mile link, from Kendal to the base of the Tewitfield Locks, has since been destroyed by the construction of roads, including the M6.
After a meeting with Derek Cochrane, regional director of British Waterways, Mr Davies said: "I was pleased to hear that the most senior British Waterways manager is confident that the Ribble Link will be built. This very ambitious restoration project is now considered to be a realistic proposition."
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