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Lune Aqueduct to receive facelift


The 200-year-old Lune Aqueduct is all set to scrub up nicely as plans for it to become the recipient of a £2 million facelift are outlined. The proposed developments for the aqueduct comprise part of ambitious plans for the Lancaster Canal, which will see it become a key visitor centre and a catalyst for economic growth in the North West.

The works will ensure that the Grade 1 listed aqueduct, which carries the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune, will not only become structurally sound for decades to come, it will also become more accessible to the public and offer a more attractive way to cross the river.

British Waterways North West is taking charge of the restoration plans and over the next financial year it will deliver:

  • A relined canal channel
  • Renewed corroded trench sheet wash walls
  • A re-pointed stone aqueduct trough
  • Re-pointed open joints in the masonry arch
  • Rebuilt walls along the edge of the turning basin south of bridge
  • A new drain plug in the bed of the canal basin.

It’s also going to be essential to garner additional funding from external sources. Extra funding is needed to carry out a series of enhancements to the aqueduct’s structure and setting. As raising funds is going to be key to this project and to ensure the aqueduct reaches its full potential, British Waterways has teamed up with partners from Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and the Lancaster Canal Trust.

Walkers and cyclists will be set to benefit from the planned enhancements. Towpath upgrades will be appreciated by all users and improved links between the canal and Millennium Cycleway will be installed. In addition to easier access, the area will become a far more attractive place to visit as no one wants to see a beautiful aqueduct in shabby surroundings. There are plans to landscape the river corridor and provide ecologically-friendly structural lighting.

For those who like to keep informed, the area will also benefit from improved signage, which will give the public access to a wide range of information from structural development to the historical significance of the aqueduct. Offering easier access, a new car park will be installed for visitors at Caton Road.

To date, British Waterways has received a £50k grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop its ideas further. This development funding is currently being used to undertake a series of studies and surveys of the site, which will form the cornerstone of the plans.

In order to submit a further application to the Heritage Lottery Fund this year, the research aims to develop an inclusive community consultation strategy and activity plan, devise an integrated landscape management plan, roll out a robust conservation management scheme and undertake a comprehensive bat survey.

To realise the full heritage and tourism potential of this structure – one of the UK’s top 10 inland waterway heritage structures - it is vital that British Waterways enlists the support of everyone who shares an interest in this wonderful piece of engineering architecture so that the end product truly reflects the wishes of the wider community within this area.

With this in mind there is a series of consultations planned for the year and communities and partners will be kept in the loop as the programme develops.

To have your say on the new developments, complete the online survey at www.marionblockley.co.uk/lune.html.

For more information contact the Regeneration Projects Manager, Stephen Higham, on 01942 405750.

Last updated: 17/05/2010

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