Leigh Branch

The Leigh Branch links the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Wigan with the Bridgewater Canal at Plank Lane. This branch connects the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to the rest of the canal network, from Manchester to the Midlands.

When the Leigh branch was built the locks between Wigan and Liverpool were extended to allow the longer narrow boats of the narrow canals to reach the docks at Liverpool.

The Leigh Branch has suffered over the years from subsidence caused by the mining around and beneath the canal. This resulted in large flashes or lakes and meant that some locks had to be abandoned and new ones built.