kids encyclopedia robot

Northern Reaches Restoration Group facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Northern reaches
The starting point of the Northern Reaches; where the M6 motorway physically separates the canal from the rest of the UK waterway network.

The Northern Reaches Restoration Group (NRRG) is a special group in Lancashire and Cumbria, England. They work to reopen a 14-mile part of the Lancaster Canal. This part is called the Northern Reaches. It runs between Tewitfield Locks and Kendal. This section of the canal got cut off from the rest when the M6 motorway was built in the 1960s. The group that looks after this waterway is the Canal & River Trust.

Why the Canal Was Blocked

By the 1940s, many canals in Britain were no longer used. This was because goods started to be moved by road instead of by boat. The northern part of the Lancaster Canal was one of these. Some sections were filled in, and others were left to dry out.

A law passed in 1955 said that the Northern Reaches part of the canal was "obsolete." This meant it was no longer needed for boats. So, when engineers built the new M6 motorway in the UK, they didn't try to protect the canal's path. They built large banks of earth and a tunnel (called a culvert) that completely blocked the canal's original route.

What the Group Does

Lancaster Canal and M6 motorway, near Tewitfield. This scruffy photo shows the even more scruffy second termination of the open canal, which disappears into a culvert for 150 yard under the road.
Part of the Northern Reaches near Tewitfield.
Lancaster Canal Sellet Hall. The end of the open water on this stretch of the Canal.
Lancaster Canal Disused canal near Sellet Hall looking towards Stainton bridge where the canal is in water.
Various stretches of the Northern Reaches on the Lancaster Canal.

Since the 1960s, groups like the Lancaster Canal Trust and the Inland Waterways Association have worked to save inland waterways. They pushed for this northern part of the canal to be reopened for boats. In the 1990s, the NRRG was created specifically to continue this important work.

The NRRG wants to:

  • Help more people learn about the canal.
  • Get local communities and users excited about the historic waterway. This includes boaters, walkers, cyclists, and people who like to fish.

The NRRG also helps to look after the old canal structures that are still there. Because of their efforts, many original bridges and other parts have been saved. They have also stopped more parts of the canal from being lost. Plus, they have improved the walking paths (towpaths) and added signs to explain the history of the canal.

Working Together for Restoration

The NRRG is part of the Lancaster Canal Restoration Partnership. This group is based at Levens Hall in Kendal. It brings together all the different groups that want to see the canal restored. These groups include:

The Waterway Recovery Group also provides extra help and support.

kids search engine
Northern Reaches Restoration Group Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.