Canal Foot, Ulverston

The entrance to the former Ulverston canal is seen on the extreme left of this photograph.  The canal was a link between the Leven Estuary of Morecambe Bay and the market town of Ulverston.  Completed in 1796, the canal was an important boost to the economy of Ulverston with many businesses establishing adjacent to the canal which became a busy thoroughfare for sailing vessels.  The canal is now walled off from its former exit to the sea but remains as a straight 1.25 miles long body of water 20 metres wide and 4.6 metres deep.  The monument to Sir John Barrow, which takes the form of a lighthouse, may be seen on Hoad Hill in the distance.