The Complete Guide to the Lancaster Canal Edited by John Laws, £6.50

NOW in its sixth edition, this fully updated guide covers the whole length of the Lancaster Canal from Preston through to Kendal, including the Ribble Link and the Glasson Dock branch.

The opening sections cover the geography and history of the canal from the earliest scheme in the mid-18th Century that failed to happen to the revised plans that finally lead to construction beginning in 1792. Many of the features alongside the waterway are explained such as the coke ovens at Bolton-le-Sands, the milestones, the bridges and, of course, “the finest and largest example of a masonry aqueduct in the country” as the canal is carried high over the Lune in Lancaster. Bringing us right up to date, the building of the new Milestone Bridge, which carries the new M6 link road, is fully explained with photographs of the construction process.

With clear diagrams of each section all points of interest are marked along with overviews of local towns and villages, places to eat and stay and nearby visitor attractions.

All profits will go to the Inland Waterways Association, a charity which campaigns for the preservation, conservation and restoration of inland waterways.

Published by the Lancaster Canal Trust

CAROLINE REECE