HUNDREDS of people celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Special events were staged at Reedley Marina in Barden Lane, attended by the mayor of Pendle, while music was played by the Mid Pennine Arts group at Burnley Wharf and the bells of St Peter’s Church in the town were sounded.

Organiser Harold Bond said: “Back in 1816, press reports state that the ceremonial first boat was greeted by pealing church bells, brass bands and cheering crowds, and canal barges were bedecked in flags and streamers.

“The response to our invitation to get involved has been brilliant so we have every chance of staging a celebration worthy of those entrepreneurial merchants and inventive engineers responsible for building this waterway.”

Construction of the canal began in 1770 at either end and by 1777 the canal was open from Leeds to Gargrave and from Liverpool to Parbold – then money ran out and worked stopped until 1790.

The route was then altered to take in the growing industrial towns of East Lancashire but it was not until 1816 that the last section between Wigan and Johnson’s Hillock, near Chorley, was finished, finally creating a trans-Pennine link between the two great cities.

Chantelle Seaborn, of the Canal and River Trust, said: “This epic boat journey is a wonderful way to mark the 200th anniversary of one of the most significant waterways in Britain.”

Events took place in Blackburn at the Eanam Wharf Visitor Centre as part of the bicentenary celebrations. A flotilla is travelling the length of the waterway and it was greeted in the town by school children and chants of ‘happy birthday.

The Duke of Lancaster’s Regimental Band and the Accrington pipe and drum band provided music and there was the launch of the new Eanam Wharf Experience Heritage site.

Those who came out to mark the occasion said they felt delighted to witness a once in a lifetime opportunity, as the original opening ceremony from 1816 was recreated.

Jennifer Potter, 70, from Lammack, said: “I think it’s fantastic. I don’t know much about the canal, but it would be a shame to miss something like this. It’s absolutely marvellous to see what they’ve done and see everyone coming out and the kids screaming.”

England’s second longest canal was filled with colourful decorations, flags and streamers as the small fleet of boats travelled across the Pennines as part of its 127-mile journey.

The Bethany gospel choir from Tanzania also performed at the event, attended by the lord mayor of Leeds Cllr Gerry Harper, mayor of Blackburn Cllr Hussain Akhtar and mayor of Burnley Cllr Jeff Sumner amongst others.

Irene Lord from Blackburn, who attended the day with husband Geoff, enjoyed the ‘community’ feel of the event said: “We like to come and take a walk by the canal. We saw this event being advertised andthought it would be a great thing to come along to.”

“They’re trying to get the community to come together and this is a great way for them to do it. It makes the most of Blackburn.”

The flotilla moves on to Chorley today and working it’s way along the water route until it finishes in Liverpool on Sunday.