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Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

This is the longest canal in Britain built as a single waterway - yet one of the least busy.

One of three trans-Pennine waterways, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is 127 miles long and, via its connection with the Aire & Calder at Leeds, offers a coast-to-coast route across the north of England.

Fascinating towns and attractions abound, from the big city appeal of Leeds to the peace of villages on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Waterway landmarks include the famous Five-Rise flight of locks at Bingley, the impressive Burnley Embankment, and Foulridge Tunnel, through which a cow once swam.

The canal has good connections at either end but keeps itself to itself across the Pennines. Consequently, it has its own vocabulary (lock paddles are known as 'cloughs') and has retained a distinctive character.

Download a Guide and map to Liverpool's canal and docks