Leeds Liverpool Canal

Britain's longest inland waterway (127 miles) was opened in 1816. The Leeds Liverpool Canal took 46 years to build, and finally came in at five times the original budget. The first part to open was the lock-free section from Skipton to Bingley, in 1773. The canal was busy all through the nineteenth century and carried stone, coal, wool, cotton, limestone, grain, and other goods.

In 1906 the Leeds Liverpool Canal carried 2,337,401 tons of cargo an average distance of 22 miles, and produced £180,000 in revenue.

Proposal for River Aire Navigation 1744

Even before the Leed Liverpool Canal was proposed, there was great demand for better transport facilities. Bingley was a centre for the lime trade, and in 1740 Mssrs Mawd & Lister of Bingley were selling over 23,000 horse-loads a year of lime. Their locally quarried supply was dwindling, and they were keen to transport lime from Skipton. Accordingly a petition was made to parliamant in 1744 for a Bill to make the River Aire navigable between Bingley and Skipton. The Bill was opposed by Lord Thanet, and failed.

Act of 1770, and construction

The Act recieved royal assent in May 1770. The construction of the Leeds Liverpool Canal began almost immediately, and a contract was issued to a John Tickle to arrange the digging from Bingley to Skipton. It sems that there were problems with progress, and in 1772 an order was issued that each contractor in future would be issued a contract for only a one mile stretch of contruction.

Opening 1773

The Leeds Intelligencer reported on 8th April 1773:

On Thursday last, that part of the Grand Canal from Bingley to Skipton was opened, and two boats laden with coals arrived at the last mentioned place, which were sold at half the price they have hitherto given for that most necessary convenience of life, which is a recent instance, among other, of the great use of canals in general. On which occassion the bells were set ringing at Skipton; there were also bonfires, illuminations, and other demonstrations of joy,

Lord Thanets Canal (Spring Branch) 1773

Lord Thanet in Skipton owned both Skipton Castle and the local limestone quarries. He proposed the contruction of a quarter mile branch canal to connect the quarries with the new Leeds Liverpool Canal, after the refusal of the canal company to alter the line previously surveyed. An act was passed in 1773 in support of this. The branch canal was built quickly. In 1785 the canal company took over the lease.

Opening of Skipton - Thackley 1774

In March 1774 the Bingley five-rise locks were first used, the first boat through there taking 29 minutes to navigate the locks.

Springs Branch Extension 1794

The Springs Branch canal was extended by another 240 yards and a tramway built to move limestone more easily from the quarries. There was more and more demand for limestone to be used in the new Low Moor Ironworks, Bradford, for iron smelting.

Opening of Foulridge Tunnel 1796

It took years to solve the problems involved in navigation Westwards from Skipton. A tunnel had to be built at Foulridge.

Limestone Tramway, Haw Bank Quarry 1836

The tramway from the Haw Bank Quarry (in what is now Skipton Rock, just the other side of the bypass A65T) originally ended high above the Springs Branch Canal, and stone was dropped about 100 feet into boats from chutes. This was to say the least a noisy operation, and Lord Thanet, the occupant of Skipton Castle, demanded an extension of the tramway to the main canal. This was refused by the canal company, but a new tramroad was built in 1836. By this time Haw Bank Quarry was producing 80,000 tons of limestone a year.

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