Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Enjoy waterside cycling and walking along Britain's longest single canal. It runs for 126 miles across the Pennines, passing many villages, towns and cities with a fascinating heritage and industrial history. There are also umpteen pretty locks, viaducts and some wonderful countryside to enjoy.
Walkers can enjoy the whole route from Leeds to Liverpool, while there are several sections for cyclists too. If you are on a bike then you can follow Sustrans National Cycle Route 66 from the start at Leeds to just outside Silsden. There's another Sustrans section around Barnoldswick and from Nelson to Burnley in Lancashire. The section from Chorley to Adlington is also open to cyclists.
Highlights on the route include the impressive 5 rise locks at Bingley, Wigan Pier and the lovely Foulridge Reservoir in Colne. Near Burscough you'll pass the wonderful Martin Mere Nature Reserve where you can look out for otters, flamingos, beavers and thousands of water loving birds.
You can also link up with the Rufford Branch of the canal and head to the historic Rufford Old Hall near Croston in Lancashire.
Leeds and Liverpool Canal Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Leeds and Liverpool Canal Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Leeds and Liverpool Canal OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Leeds and Liverpool Canal Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
In Merseyside's Maghull there's The Running Horses. The friendly pub is located in a fine spot next to the canal just north of the town centre in Lydiate. They serve good food and have a nice garden area next to the canal. You can find them at 25 Bell Lane, L31 4EN. They are dog friendly if you have your canine friend with you.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Blossom next to the canal.
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Skipton
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Shipley
Bingley 5 rise locks. The Bingley 5 Rise Locks is a staircase lock system that lifts or lowers boats through five consecutive chambers, achieving a total rise of 59 feet 2 inches (18.03 meters) over a 320-foot (98-meter) stretch. This design makes it the steepest flight of locks in the United Kingdom, with a gradient of approximately 1:5. Each chamber is slightly over 14 feet (4.3 meters) wide, accommodating the canal's broad dimensions. The structure is recognized as a Grade I listed building due to its historical and engineering significance. Since its opening on 21 March 1774, the Five-Rise Locks have been a notable feat of engineering and continue to serve as a prominent feature of the canal.
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Moorings, Appley Bridge
Coates Wharf. Barnoldswick The derelict Coates Wharf as seen from the top of Bridge 154A.
Old Hall Bridge at East Marton
Parbold. Parbold Parish Church, Parbold Fairy Glen, and Parbold Hill and lie in the distance.