Drive and Stroll, with Ron Freethy

I DON'T think that we in East Lancashire realise what a treasure the Leeds to Liverpool Canal is.

We often travel miles to sing the praises of other Inland Waterways and we tend to forget what a tourist asset our own "cut" is.

Over the last few days I have walked several stretches of the Leeds to Liverpool. On a misty morning around Burnley I watched a heron waiting patiently for prey and then the dull day was brightened by the bright colours of a flying kingfisher.

I never tire of the walk around Foulridge and I remember a few years ago when a Yorkshire television crew used this area to film The Way We Used To Live programme.

Apart from the costume and the end of the use of barge horses, the scene has hardly changed at all. It is still the only Northern canal to be navigable throughout all of its 1261/4 mile length.

All along the canal there are stretches of wonderful countryside sandwiched between mill towns and all of these cotton settlements have a wonderful history in their own right.

There is some magnificent industrial archeology to be seen all along the East Lancashire corridor.

There is also lots of natural history to be enjoyed.

Even in the days of grime and pollution the canal was a reservoir for fascinating natural history.

This balance between history and natural history can be seen around Rishton, which has the bonus of Rishton Reservoir, a fascinating place to watch birds.

As I walk these areas I try to imagine three things. Firstly I think of the days before the canal was built. Some of the ancient farmsteads still exist and life goes on as it has done for centuries.

Secondly I think of the days when the canal dealt with all the business traffic concerned with the import and export, not just of cotton, but also of coal, iron and all the materials needed to drive the industrial revolution forward.

Thirdly I come to the present time. I'm sad when I see wonderful old buildings not being afforded the dignity which their history deserves.

The modern tourism industry is often not using the canal to its full potential.

Something needs to be done about this and it needs to be tackled very soon.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.