Ewood Aqueduct

Ewood Aqueduct
Ewood Aqueduct, Blackburn Lancashire
Coordinates
OS grid reference	SD675264
Carries	Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Crosses	River Darwen & B6447
Locale	Blackburn
Maintained by	British Waterways
Characteristics
Total length	68 feet (20.7 m)
Width	43 feet (13.1 m)
Traversable?	Yes
Towpaths	NW Side
Number of spans	One
History
Construction end	19th century
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	Leeds and Liverpool Canal Ewood Aqueduct
Designated	18 February 1992
Reference no.	1267539

Ewood Aqueduct is a high embankment carrying the Leeds and Liverpool Canal over the River Darwen and the B6447 road near Blackburn, Lancashire, England. Built of sandstone in the early 19th century, it is a Grade II listed building.

File:Ewood Aqueduct 2.JPG

From the opposite side

History

In 1789 Robert Whitworth varied the route of the unfinished part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, by building a new tunnel at Foulridge which lowered the summit level by 40 feet. He chose a more southerly route in Lancashire. This resulted in an Act of Parliament in 1790 which allowed further fund-raising for the completion. In 1794 another Act was granted authorising another change of route and yet more fund-raising. The new Foulridge Tunnel was proving difficult and expensive to dig, when it opened in 1796 it was 1,640 yards (1,500 m) long. This new route took the canal south via Burnley and Blackburn which was reached in 1810. This new route for this section of the canal meant it was now running parallel with and then crossing the isolated southern end of the Lancaster Canal. Common sense prevailed and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal connected with the Lancaster Canal between Wigan and Johnson's Hillock. The main line of the canal was thus completed in 1816.