History of the Louth Navigation

The Louth Canal Company was founded in 1760 and an act of Paliament in 1763 allowed the canal to be cut. The canal opened in 1770.

As with most canals, the coming of the railways proved too much, and lead to a gradual decline. Floods in 1920 acused much damages and the canal commissioners applied to have all bridges taken over by local authorities.

By 1924 the last load of freight was carried, all canal property was sold and the waterway abandoned.

The Louth Navigation Trust, founded in 1986 aims to return the canal to water and are undertaking restoration work.