Ashton Basin to Tewitfield
The canal was built to link Manchester, Preston and Lancaster but the short stretch connecting Preston and Chorley was never finished.
The Lancaster Canal remained separated from the main network until Britain’s newest waterway, the Millennium Ribble Link, was opened in 2002.
At present, the northern reaches of the canal from Tewitfield to Kendal are derelict with restoration proposed, and a short section of the canal in Preston is also derelict.
There is a branch to Glasson plus a tidal sea lock, and the Ribble Link joins the main line 1.5 miles (2.4km) out of Preston.