Wigan Flight

Wigan Flight has been awarded a Green Flag Award!



Well done and thanks to the Canal and River Trust volunteers and staff who keep it looking so beautiful!

www.greenflagaward.org / canalrivertrust.org.uk

This Friday, it’s 205 years since Wigan Flight was officially opened.

The date 22 October 1816 is commemorated in the stonework of Britannia Bridge. historicengland.org.uk

jo anne wrote:This Friday, it’s 205 years since Wigan Flight was officially opened.

The date 22 October 1816 is commemorated in the stonework of Britannia Bridge. historicengland.org.uk

Actually, the date refers not only to the completion of the Wigan Flight, but the completion of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal as a whole.  Finally after almost 75 years you could navigate from Liverpool to Leeds.  Wigan Flight was built to link the L&L at Wigan to the southern end of the Lancaster Canal at Aspull, with Johnsons Hillock Locks linking the eastern L&L to the Lancaster.

I know Wigan was amongst the last few sections to be completed, Cadfael, but do you know whether or not it’s the only one which commemorates the opening date?

Britannia Bridge was the very last section, and so is the site of the completion. I have walked from Leeds to Nelson so far and I have not seen any other monuments for completion of a section, not even in Leeds, although I may have missed it. We may come across some in the future.

According to the L&L Canal Society, the canal was completed on 22 October 1816 at Wigan.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal History.

That is a very good book on the subject. This next book has more detail...

Along The Canal - Leeds & Liverpool

I did think it was completed in Wigan, but haven’t ever found a reference to confirm it. I’d be chuffed to read one, where did you see it, Cadfael?

All that remained was to join Blackburn with Wigan … Following an agreement, the Lancaster Canal built the Johnsons Hillock Locks and the Leeds & Liverpool built the Wigan Locks, thus completing their through route between Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1816.

The Halsall navvy dug the first sod.

I’ve yet to visit Halsall, Mortarmillbill, but would love to see Thompson Dagnall’s sculpture

The Hallsall Navvy - www.sculpturecarving.com

jo anne wrote:I did think it was completed in Wigan, but haven’t ever found a reference to confirm it. I’d be chuffed to read one, where did you see it, Cadfael?

All that remained was to join Blackburn with Wigan … Following an agreement, the Lancaster Canal built the Johnsons Hillock Locks and the Leeds & Liverpool built the Wigan Locks, thus completing their through route between Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1816.

I think I see where you are coming from now Jo Anne. The Wigan Flight was the very last section of the canal to be completed, however the last lock to be built may not have actually been the one at Britannia Bridge, I don't know to be honest. But, the inscription above the bridge is for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, not the Wigan Flight even though the completion date applies to both the canal and the flight logic would say. So we can take pride in the fact it was in Wigan the canal was finally completed. This is taken from the above 'Along The Canal'...

and in 1810, further agreement with the Lancaster Canal led to leasing of that canal’s southern section as part of the
Leeds & Liverpool. The opening of Wigan locks in 1816 completed the main line. In 1820, a branch to Leigh from
Wigan, with two locks at Abram and one at Plank Lane, was opened.

Thanks, Cadfael.

The same inscription as on Britannia Bridge was also originally on Henhurst Bridge and Pottery Changeline Bridge No.51. Unfortunately, the stonework was lost when Henhurst Bridge was rebuilt in 2006, but at least work on the Changeline Bridge just left it partially hidden.

By chance I have just come across this video on YouTube... a couple of narrowboats come down from Aspull Top Lock.

Many thanks for that, Cadfael, it’s brilliant!

Entertaining and witty,
and quite an insight into narrowboating down the Flight!

“Sir David Attenborough would be proud of these locks.”

They next travelled along the Leigh Branch


More videos: NarrowBoat Will

There’s a brill article in November’s edition of Local Life - Wigan Link (p.43):

Anyone own up to this …

jo anne wrote:Anyone own up to this …

Erm... ah... trust me... it is not THIS Dennis! I am happy enough with my name on the front of fire engines!

The first seven minutes or so of this vlog are of Wigan Flight
and the Leigh Branch of the L&L Canal



YouTube Channel: Together We Roam

Not quite the Flight, but the Leigh Branch nearby …

From Wigan to Leigh and Back Again - Vimeo Link



Poem by Carla Mellor
Film by Northern Heart Films
Concept by Things That Go On Things

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th February



canalrivertrust.org.uk

Wigan Flight is currently closed to boats for winter works till 1st April canalrivertrust.org.uk

The big metal bottom gates on Lock No.73 (IX) will be replaced with oak ones around 4th March.

That’ll be a sight to see!

Really looking forward to the new series! The first episode, on Mon 14th March, will feature Wigan Flight as Robbie travels from Wigan to Burnley.



BBC Website

Wed 16th March, 7.30pm - www.leedsandliverpoolcanalsociety.co.uk

Mike Clarke is the President of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Society and his presentation will be covering the last 50 years on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal talking about his involvement and how the canal has changed, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Society.

Robbie: “With 23 heavy locks over a few miles this is hard work!”



Wonderful footage! Now available on - BBC iPlayer

New oak lock gates on their way up Wigan Flight today to replace Lock 73’s metal tail gates.

Each wooden one weighs in at 4.3 tons!

One of the two metal bottom gates before they were recently removed.