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Friday, March 24, 2006 The Millennium Link

The Millennium Link is the name given to a recently constructed canal link, joining the Lancaster Canal to the River Ribble. Prior to this any boats on the Lancaster Canal could only access the rest of the canal network by travelling in open sea for about 40 miles! Via Glasson Dock.

Now boats can exit the Lancaster Canal, via the Link, to the River Ribble and then to the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

This Link is quite a feat of engineering it has used for the main part an existing stream that has been widened and altered to accomodate boats. A series of locks have been added to take the boats down from the canal to the stream, three locks in total.

The first picture is of a carved wooden statue that stands watch facing the locks. When this was first built it was vandalised and I thought it was a waste of money, but having seen it today, I actually think it looks good now. People have got used to him being there and no longer vandalise the statue.



The second picture is of course the locks. This is the view the statue would see, if you notice the road on the right, at the bottom of the locks is a turning basin, the canal turns sharply to cross under this road, this is where the existing stream runs, and then just beyond the road, just in view is a railway, so the canal passes beneath this.



In the last picture you can see the statue at the top, he can be seen for quite a distance, and at the bottom is the aforementioned basin.

All in all, the campaigners who fought for this development have turned a derelict piece of land into a lasting, modern day marvel of engineering.

The link, having passed under the railway, continues for about three miles towards the river, where traffic lights have been installed at the junction, because boats can only enter from the river at certain states of the tide, this also means there is a lock at the end of the link to stop the water draining away.

This whole link has a footpath alongside and has become a popular walkway, a haven for wildlife and pleasant attraction for the local population.
Posted by Cadley Dad :: Friday, March 24, 2006 :: 4 comments

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--------------- Preston, Lancashire ---------------

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 HAS SPRING FINALLY SPRUNG?

This is surely a sign that Spring is here, taken in the second of two public parks within an easy walk of my home. This one is, looking at my map icon, bottom left, a small bit of pink just visible. It's called Ashton Park and is actually larger than Haslam Park.



Ashton Park houses Ashton Health Centre, which is where our doctor is based. As part of my new healthier lifestyle I am going to have at least a half hour walk every lunchtime, and this will be one of my regular walks. It means I walk through first Haslam Park, a short stretch of quiet road to Ashton Park. In the second picture the road in the background if you were to follow it to the right leads to Preston's Riversway, which is the old dock complex which has been completely revamped into a leisure/retail park with a marina, very under utilised, so if anyone has a yacht they want berthing!

It's hard to believe that less than 200 yards to the right is McDonald's, Supermarkets, Homebase, etc.



If you were to follow the road to the left you would find only 50 yards away the local Chrysler dealer, who caught me snapping my dream car this lunchtime, in fact if a lottery win was to come my way I would purchase all four cars from this dealership, the Chrysler People Carrier, the Jeep, the Crossfire Sports Car and my current fave the 200C. (pictured).
Posted by Cadley Dad :: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 :: 3 comments

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--------------- Preston, Lancashire ---------------

Friday, March 10, 2006 VIEW OF THE BRIDGE

Today's journey along the banks of the Lancaster Canal will give you an alternative view of the road bridge on the masthead of my blog, you can see from this angle the mill and chimney in the bankground. This obviously used to be a cotton mill, then a warehouse for a catalogue company and I believe at present it's a call centre. I think one day it will be converted into apartments, just like a similar building has been in Preston centre.

The bridge in the view is the one on the map where the orange road crosses the canal, and we are facing generally south.

If you imagine the position this photograph was taken from and then turn to your left 180 degrees you will see the next photographic view, this shows the old cottage, traditionally inhabited by someone who work for the water board, you can see the blue barge in the distance. Right at the left of the photograph where the canal passes out of view is a large stream that passes beneath the canal, one of my neighbour's gardens are at this junction, so in effect if you could see past the building in the top left corner you would see my house.

To the left hand of this photograph is the run off from the canal which goes behind the cottage and down to the aforementioned stream. The land inbetween these two pictures is a kind of motorway service station for the canal, it has a toilet/shower building, picnic tables, etc. It's reached by a little lane from the bridge in the first photo. I've never been down the lane, I'm not sure your allowed. But one day next week the rebel in me is going to find out.
Posted by Cadley Dad :: Friday, March 10, 2006 :: 1 comments

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--------------- Preston, Lancashire ---------------

MY STOMPING GROUND

I hope you all like the new design, it's taken a while to get it just how I like it. The map shows the area that I've spent the last 43 years in.

My primary school was at the right hand end of the green road, my secondary school was the one in the centre at the top. I spent my childhood and teenage years in a terraced house backing on to the canal shown on the map in blue, where it passes under the orange/brown road, my house was just along there.

I still live in this area, with my wife and two children.
Posted by Cadley Dad :: Friday, March 10, 2006 :: 2 comments

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--------------- Preston, Lancashire ---------------