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Top Lock | Rufford | Sollom Lock | Tarleton
 

City of Liverpool

 

Dock Link

 

Stanley Dock Branch

 

Liverpool
0-3 miles

 

Bootle to Melling
3-12 miles

 

Maghull to Burscough
12- 24 miles

 

Rufford Branch

 

Burscough to Wigan
24 - 34 miles

 

Wigan
34 - 37 miles

 

Leigh Branch

 

Former Lancaster Canal South
37-47miles

 

Johnson's Hillock to Cherry Tree
47 - 54 miles

 

Blackburn
54-59 miles


Towpath Treks


 The Leeds & Liverpool Canal

The Rufford Branch

Navigation on the River Douglas pre-dated the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. When the canal was built it replaced the Douglas between Wigan and Burscough. A new cut between the main line and the river at Sollom was built. Later the lock at Sollom was removed and a river lock built at Tarleton.

The Rufford Branch in places looks more like river than a man made channel, while the River Douglas has been canalised and is dead straight.

City of Leeds

 

Leeds
127.25 miles

 

Shipley to Leeds
115 -125 miles

 

Stockbridge to Shipley
109 -115 miles

 

Skipton to Stockbidge
99 - 109 miles

 

Gargrave to Skipton
93 -99 miles

 

Greenberfield to Gargrave
87 - 93 miles

 

Foulridge to Greenberfield
82-87 miles

 

Burnley Lane to Foulridge Tunnel
75 -82 miles

 

Burnley
71-75 miles

 

Rishton, Church and Hapton
59 - 71 miles


Click on the photographs to see a larger image and more information
Junction: Top Locks
 
< Mainline to Liverpool Rufford Branch Junction Bridge #1 Mainline to Leeds >>
  Junction Signpost Junction Bridge #1  
Junction Bridge #1 1816 Dry Dock Top Lock Cottages
Junction Bridge #1 1816 Graving Dock Cottages besides the Graving Dock
Graving Dock Lathom Locks Canal Cottage The Ship Inn
Dry Dock and Cottages The Top Lock #1 Junction Cottage The Ship Inn
(The Blood Tub)
Ground Paddles Lock Pound Lock Pound Clough
Lathom Lock #1 Lathom Lock Pound Lathom Lock Pound A Clough
Lathom Lock #2 Lathom Lock #2 From Lathom Locks Runnel Brow Bridge #2
Lathom Lock #2 Lathom Lock #2 From Lathom Locks Runnel Brow Bridge #2
Runnel Brow Lock #3 Bridge 2A Moss Lock #4 The Rufford Branch
Runnel Brow Lock #3 Bridge 2A Moss Lock #4 Along the Rufford Branch
Stone   Germans Bridge #3 Germans Lock #5
Bench Mark Stone Mile Post
Junction 1 mile
German's Bridge #3 German's Lock #5
Germans Lock #5 Germans Bridge #3 Ground Paddle Chicken Lock #6
German's Lock #5 German's Bridge #3 Ground Paddle Chicken Lock #6
Baldwins Bridge #4 Ground Paddle Canal View Prescott Bridge #5
Baldwin's Bridge #4 Ground Paddle View Towards Prescott Bridge #5 Prescott Bridge #5
Canal View   Canal Bridge Canal View
Canal View Mile Post
Junction 2 Miles
Canal Bridge View from the Causeway End railway bridge
Rufford
 
Canal View Rufford Lock # 7 Rufford Marina Rufford Canal
Canal View nr Rufford Rufford Lock #7 St.Mary's Marina
Rufford
A wooded section of canal at Rufford
Rufford Old Hall Spark Bridge #8A Rufford Canal Towpath
Rufford Old Hall View from Spark Bridge #8A Work in progress on the canal banks Poor Towpath Conditions
Canal Edge Fearn's Swing Bridge #9 View from Fearns  
Canal Edge Fearn's Swing Bridge #9 View from Fearn's Swing Bridge #9 Mile Post
Junction 5 Miles
Sollom Lock
 
Lock Lane Sollom Lock Hinge Gate Post
The lock is remembered in the road name Sollom Lock where the canal met the river Douglas before the canal was extended to Tarleton River Lock. stone and metalwork where the hinge of the lock gate once was. large stone gateposts are all that remain of the canal side buildings
Strand bridge #10 Strand Bridge #10 Boat on Bend
Bank Bridge #11
view beyond Strand Bridge #10 Strand Bridge #10 a boat on a bend the branch Bank Bridge #11
River Douglas Canal View Bank Bridge #11 Warehouse
The tidal River Douglas view from Bank Bridge #11 Under Bank Bridge #11 Warehouse between the canal and the river
Tarleton

 

  Rufford branch Rufford branch  
  From Town End Swing Bridge #12 Former Stop Lock  
 

 

   

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