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Maghull | Lydiate | Haskayne | Halsall | Scarisbrick | Burscough
 

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

Maghull to Burscough

The canal passes through the flat farmland of west Lancashire. Depending on the season you can see leeks, oil seed rape, lavender, corn, cabbages and sunflowers growing near the canal. It was at Halsall Cutting that the first sod of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal was cut.

 

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
Leeds Liverpool Canal Bootle Maghull

There have been many variations in the spelling of the name Maghull which make its meaning tricky to define. It has been suggested that it comes from the Welsh word Mag meaning plain and the Old English word halh meaning nook or corner. An alternative suggestion is that the first element comes from an Old English word for Mayweed. The first record of Maghull is in the Doomsday Book as a manor belonging to Uctred. The Chapel in the grounds of St.Andrews Church is the oldest ecclesiastical building on Merseyside. It dates from between 1280 and 1290. The chapel was rebuilt in 1777 shortly after the canal was dug. Only the oldest parts remain after the later additions were demolished in 1883. In 1648 plague broke out in West Lancashire and there were food shortages in nearby Ormskirk. The people of Maghull had to be forced to give up a fifteenth of their wealth to help the people of Ormskirk. In 1801 the first national census recorded Maghulls population as just 534 by 1901 it was 1,505. The canal boosted the local agricultural economy and increased the number of inns and beers houses in Maghull. The size of Maghull increased dramatically after WW2.

Maghull Station and trains to Liverpool can be reached from Drapers Bridge 11B. This is the last nearby station for some distance the next being New Lane near Burscough on the Southport to Wigan Line.

Bridge 11A
Bridge 11A

milepost
L'Pool 12 miles
Leeds 115¼ Miles

Towards Liverpool Drapers Bridge #11B
Drapers Bridge 11B   Maghull Canal
Drapers Bridge #11B Towards Wigan   Cycle Path by bridge #12
Maghull Hall Bridge #12
Maghull Hall Swing Bridge #12 Maghull Hall Swing Bridge #12 Northway Bridge #12A Red Lion Bridge #13
Red Lion bridge #13 Shaws Swing bridge #14 Signpost Maghull bridge
Red Lion Bridge #13
Maghull
Shaw's Swing Bridge #14   un-numbered and un-named bridge
Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost Methodist Swing bridge #15 Sunken Cruiser The Running Horses
MilePost
 L'Pool 13 Miles
  Leeds 114¼ Miles
Methodist Swing Bridge #15 A wrecked cruiser The New Running Horses
  Bell's Swing bridge #16 Maghull Houses Canal at Maghull
  Bell's Swing Bridge #16 Houses in Maghull The Canal at Maghull
Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost Winding Hole Dicconsons Bridge #17 Sandstone
MilePost
 LPool 14
 Leeds 113¼
Winding Hole near Bridge #17 Dicconsons Bridge #17 or Lydiate Bridge Triassic Sandstone on Bridge #17
Dicconsons Bridge MMBC Lollies Bridge #17A Canal at Lydiate
The MMBC at Dicconsons Bridge #17 Boats of the MMBC at Lydiate Lollies Bridge #17A Canal at Lydiate
Lydiate Hill Bridge #18 Canal at Lydiate Farmland Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost
Lydiate Hill Bridge #18
formerly known as Billy's Bridge
The Canal at Lydiate Canal side Farmland MilePost
 LPool 15
Leeds 112¼
 Jackson's Bridge Farm
Canal Cottages Towpath at Lydiate Jacksons Bridge #19  

Canal Cottages Lydiate
Jackson's Bridge #19 in distance

Towpath at Lydiate Jackson's Bridge #19  
  Coxhead Swing Bridge #20 Coxhead's Bridge #20 Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost
Boats passing through Coxhead's Bridge #20 Coxhead's or Rimmer's Swing bridge #20  Mile Post
LPool 16
Leeds 111¼
Lavender Fields Edging Stones Downholland Bridge #20A Scarisbrick Arms
Lavender Fields Edging Stones Downholland Bridge #20A Scarisbrick Arms
Scarisbrick Arms Downholland Swing Bridge #21 Downholland Hall Canal Cabbages
Beer Garden of the Scarisbrick Arms Downholland Swing Bridge #21 (open) Downholland Hall Canal Cabbages
Haskayne

Haskayne lacks a church but has a public house and a post office and shop.

Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost Reflections of Trees Haskayne Bridge #21A Canal at Haskayne

Mile Post
LPool 17
Leeds 110¼

Reflections of Trees Haskayne Bridge #21A Canal at Haskayne
Stop Planks at the Ship Inn Ship Inn Haskayne The Ship Inn, Haskayne View from the Ship Bridge #22
Stop Planks at the Ship Inn The Ship Inn The Ship Inn

View from the Ship Bridge #22

Canal at Haskayne Reeds at Haskayne Canal at Haskayne South of Bridge #23
Canal at Haskayne Reeds at Haskayne Towards bridge #23 South of Bridge #23
Heron at Bridge #23 Harkers Bridge #23 North of Bridge #23  
A heron at Harkers Bridge #23 Harkers Bridge #23 North of Bridge #23  
Triassic Sandstone Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost Halsall Cutting
Pill Box Triassic Sandstone in Halsall Cutting Mile Post
 LPool 18 Miles
 Leeds 109¼
Halsall Cutting
Halsall Cutting Halsall Cutting Halsall Hill Bridge #24 Halsall Cutting
A misty Halsall Cutting Halsall Cutting looking towards bridge #24 Halsall Hill Bridge #24 A cruiser in the cutting
Halsall Hill Bridge #24 Halsall Hill Bridge Halsall Hill Bridge #24 Halsall Hill Bridge #24
The view from Halsall Bridge #24 Under Bridge #24 Halsall Hill Bridge #24 Rope marks on bridge #24
The Canal at Halsall Cruising at Halsall The Sky at Halsall Canal at Halsall
North of Bridge #23 Cruising at Halsall The Sky at Halsall Canal at Halsall
Halsall 

Halsall's 14th or 15th Century church is the main landmark visible from the towpath. St Cuthburts has a spire and a graveyard. The Saracens Head pub is next to Halsall Warehouse Bridge #25 and once had a wood yard to its rear. It is now a restaurant with permanent and visitor moorings along the bank.

Saracens Head Pub Halsall Warehouse Bridge #25 St. Cuthberts Church Halsall Bench
The Saracen's Head Halsall Warehouse Bridge #25 St Cuthberts Halsall Halsall Bench
Halsall Navvy Halsall Navvy Halsall Navvy Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost
Halsall Navvy
Thompson Dagnall
Halsall Navvy Halsall Navvy Mile Post
 LPool 19 Miles
 Leeds 108¼ Miles
Hulmes bridge #26 Weavers Bridge #27 Canal at Scarisbrick Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost
Bridge # 26
 Hulmes Bridge
Bridge # 27
 Weavers Bridge
  MilePost
 LPool 20 Miles
 Leeds 107¼ Miles
Scarisbrick

The Red Lion Caravan Centre at Scarisbrick Bridge #27A takes its name from the former pub nearby, now an Indian Restaurant. Scarisbrick Hall nearby is now a private school.

Scarisbrick Canal Canal at Scarisbrick Red Lion Caravan Centre Scarisbrick Cross
From Scarisbrick Bridge 27A Winding Hole at Scarisbrick Red Lion
Caravan Centre
Medieval Cross
Scarisbrick
Canal at Scarisbrick MMBC Stop Lock Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost
Looking from Scarisbrick Bridge to the woods of Scarisbrick Hall The slipway of the MMBC and the former Red Lion pub Narrows in the canal for stop planks Mile Post
 LPool 21 Miles
 Leeds 106¼ Miles
Wreck at Scarisbrick Heatons Bridge #28 Heatons Bridge Inn Towpath in Spring
Wreck Heaton's Bridge  #28 Heaton's Bridge Inn Spring on the Towpath
Canal at Scarisbrick Canal at Martin Lane Martin Lane Bridge #29 Martin Lane Bridge #29
Canal at Scarisbrick Canal at Martin Lane Martin Lane Bridge #29 Under Martin Lane Bridge #29
Great Score Swing Bridge #30 Great Score Swing Bridge #30 New Lane Cottages
Mile Post
 LPool 22 Miles
 Leeds 105¼ Miles
Great Score Swing Bridge #30 Great Score Swing Bridge #30 Canal Cottages
New Lane Farm Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost New Lane Farm Farmers Arms
Farm at New Lane Mile Post
 LPool 23 Miles
 Leeds 104¼ Miles
Farm at New Lane The Farmers Arms
Farmers Arms Wreck Crabtree Swing Bridge #32 The Slipway
The Farmer's Arms A wreck Crabtree Swing Bridge #32 The Slipway, Crabtree Lane
Burscough

Burscough is a former canal town and staging post for the Wigan to Liverpool Packet Boat. It was said that the best boatmen came from Burscough and many of the canal-side cottages around here belonged to boatmen and their families.  There is a large supermarket here and a post office etc The Southport to Wigan line stops at Burscough Bridge station near to the canal. The former canal depot is now Burscough Wharf a retail and leisure complex.

The Waterfront BW Depot Burscough Wharf Burscough Wharf
The Waterfront Burscough Depot before redevelopment Burscough Wharf Burscough Wharf
Ambush Kennet Leeds Liverpool Canal Milepost Ainscoughs MIll
Ambush at Burscough Kennet at Burscough milepost
LPool 24 Miles
Leeds 103¼ Miles
Approaching Ainscoughs Mill
Ainscoughs Mill Ainscoughs Mill Ainscoughs Mill The Rufford Branch
Ainscoughs Mill Ainscough Mill and Bridge #32B Bridge Makers  
Leeds Liverpool Canal  Parbold
 

 

   

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