Douglas Navigation

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Douglas Navigation

legend Ribble Link River Ribble River Douglas or Asland River Lock, Tarleton A59 Bankbridge Old course of River Douglas River Lostock Rufford Branch (Leeds & L'pool) A581 bridge Railway bridge Rufford Lock B5246 White bridge Limit of tidal water Locks (3) Railway bridge Locks (3) Leeds & L'pool main line River Tawd Aqueduct 1777 junction A5209 Alder Lane, Parbold Appley locks (1 + 2) Appley bridge Dean lock M6 motorway Railway bridges B5602 Gathurst Road Scot Lane bridge Ell Meadow lock Railway bridges Pagefield lock A49 Wallgate Railway bridges A49 Wallgate, Wigan Wigan Pier A49 Wallgate Bottom lock Henhurst lock River Douglas Wigan Junction (Leeds & L'pool)

The Douglas Navigation was a canalised section of the River Douglas or Asland, in Lancashire, England, running from its confluence with the River Ribble to Wigan. Authorised in 1720, it opened in 1742, was bought out by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company in 1780, and abandoned by 1801, by which time the canal provided a better route to the River Ribble.

[edit] History

In 1712, Thomas Steers, a gentleman from Liverpool, surveyed the Douglas and recommended that it be made accessible to ships, enabling the transport of coal from the coalfields around Wigan down to the Ribble, and onwards to Preston. The canalisation of the river from its junction with the River Ribble to Mirey Lane End in Wigan was authorised by Parliament in 1720, with Steers and William Squire, Esq. of Liverpool as the two proprietors.^[1] Canalisation involved the construction of 13 locks, and the navigation was opened in 1742.

The working life of the Douglas Navigation was short lived, however. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal had been authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1770, and the Canal Company built the canal in sections, including the stretch from Wigan to Liverpool, which was opened in 1777.^[2] In order to obtain a reliable water supply, they sought to obtain the River Douglas Navigation, purchasing 28 of the original 36 shares in 1772. The canal joined the navigation at Newburgh, near Parbold, and used the Douglas Navigation to reach Wigan. A further Act of Parliament, obtained in 1783, gave them powers to purchase the remaining shares, and for the two companies to merge. Once the merger was complete, they entended the canal to Wigan on a parallel route.^[1] They constructed the Rufford Branch, which left their main line at Burscough, descending through 8 locks to Tarleton. The final two miles (3.3km) followed the old course of the River Dougles, with the newer course to the east, and the branch ended where River Lock joined the canal to the river.^[2] Once the branch was opened, all trade was transferred to the canal, and the river navigation was abandoned.

From that time, only the lower portion of the navigation, from Tarleton to the confluence with the Ribble remained in use.

[edit] Today

With the decline in commercial trade on the canal system, even that section became little used, with most pleasure craft venturing only as far as Tarleton Lock, and it was not until 2002, with the opening of the Ribble Link that this section of the navigation began to see any appreciable traffic.

Despite having been abandoned for 200 years, traces of the navigation can still be seen between Parbold and Gathurst, which include the remains of several locks.^[2]

[edit] References