West Portal - Hincaster Tunnel - Lancaster Canal - Hincaster, Cumbria - England
N 54° 15.539 W 002° 45.303
30U E 515956 N 6012364
The Hincaster Tunnel overcame the last obstacle for the Lancaster Canal, by boring though a limestone ridge. Now disused but still has water in.
Waymark Code: WMEMYM
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/16/2012
Views: 8
This section of the Lancaster Canal is dry, although the canal bed through the tunnel is knee deep in water. The canal is severed in many places by M6 motorway. The tunnel is brick lined which were made locally at Millness. The portals at either end are limestone faced. There is no provision for the towing horses, which were walked over the ridge, whilst the bargees "legged" the barge through the tunnel. There was a chain on south wall to pull the barges through also.
The engineer for the canal was John Fletcher and the builder was William Crosseley. The portals are limestone.
Plaques placed by English Heritage at both portals which are listed monuments. This plaque is at the western end.
Links
Old Cumbria Gazetteer of Eastern end (
visit link)
Listing of Western End (
visit link)
Listing of Eastern end (
visit link)
Streetmap (
visit link)