Pendle Canal Walk – Mile Tunnel and Slipper Hill (2.5 miles)
by Colne Life magazine
Click here to download and print the walk (PDF)
The Leeds & Liverpool Canal, with a total length of 127 1/4 miles, was opened in 1816. It links the sea port of Liverpool with the Aire and Calder Navigation at Leeds so forming a through route between the Irish Sea and the North Sea. Although no longer vital to local industry it is now an important attraction for the leisure industry.
Points of interest:
Look for the small round chimneys in the fields along the line of the tunnel. These shafts are essential to provide ventilation for the tunnel.
Traffic lights just under the entrance to the tunnel. If they are red you may be lucky enough to see a boat coming through from the other side.
Slipper Hill Reservoir – locally known as Old Ebbies – built to supply water to the canal.
Leggers Cabin at the side of the Mile Tunnel – where the leggers used to wait for the short boats.
Flora and Fauna:
The area is home to a wide diversity of life.
Watch out for: Yellow Wagtail, Curlew, Bullfinch, Wren and Dipper. Bats, Fox, Rabbits and Deer. Meadowsweet, Soft Rush, Primrose, Speedwell and Red Campion. The beautiful Hawthorn, Guelder Rose, Oak and Beech. Red Admiral and Meadow Brown Butterflies, Damsel and Dragonflies.
