Crooklands |
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North of Holme, the canal is again culverted under the M6. Follow the signposted short diversion across the field alongside the motorway, to rejoin the canal at Dukes Bridge The canal and everything around is dominated by the 265m high Farleton Fell, which makes an impressive backdrop to this very pleasant stretch of canal.
At Farleton there is a canal side packet house which was once a busy stable and a stopping point for the fast passenger packet boats like 'Swiftsure' and 'Waterwitch. The canal is again navigable for well over a mile to Dovehouses Bridge, where the A65 crosses on an embankment following realignment during construction of the M6. Walkers can use the pedestrian tunnel to continue along the canal for a short distance, until it is again culverted under the M6 embankment where it crosses the adjacent A65. The motorway leaves the canal at last and there is a further 2 miles of intact canal as far as Stainton.
Waterwitch  |
Waterwitch  |
Waterwitch  |
Stables  |
Feeder  |
Coal Wharf  |
The main water supply enters just before Crooklands Aqueduct. Up to 17 million gallons of water a day feed into the canal here from Killington Reservoir, 5 miles to the north. The reservoir was completed in 1819 and holds 766 million gallons when full. Motorists get a good view of the reservoir if they stop at Killington Lake Services on the southbound carriageway of the M6 in Cumbria.
At Crooklands the old stables were derelict until restored as an information centre by the trust. Opposite the stables is the boarding stage for the free trip boat Waterwitch, which the trust operates most Sundays throughout the summer. The canal wharf is now a coal yard, but at least the walker can find refreshment at the nearby hotel, which has original canal signs in the bar.