News Beat
Wildlife flourishes along historic Bolton and Bury Canal
Where coal barges once navigated its waters, wildlife now thrives, turning the historic waterway into a haven for nature lovers.
Bolton News Camera Club member Keith Rylance recently captured stunning images of deer along the canal, which has become a popular walking destination for locals.
The canal, completed in 1797, was originally a key transport route for coal and clay, cutting directly through villages and fuelling Lancashire’s industrial growth.
Today, the scene is very different.
According to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, “narrow boats have been replaced by mute swans, kingfishers, and thousands of darting damselflies that make the water shimmer with life. Pike bask just below the surface, and if you look closely, you may even spot a colony of freshwater sponge”.
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An ancient woodland lies opposite the towpath.
The last colliery at Ladyshore closed in 1949, and the canal ceased traffic in 1961, decades after the collapse of the canal wall at Nob End in 1926.
But its story is far from over.
A £120 million restoration project, led by the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society since its formation in 1987, is breathing new life into the waterway. The initiative is the centrepiece of the Creams Mills development in Little Lever.
Work to restore the canal—which has been dry for nearly a century—includes improvements to drainage and ducting infrastructure, road construction over reinstated sections, and the creation of a new towpath. These efforts aim to reconnect pedestrian routes and celebrate the site’s industrial heritage while preserving its natural beauty.
From industry to ecology, the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal stands as a testament to Lancashire’s ability to adapt and thrive—past, present, and future.
The canal can be accessed from Boscow Road, Little Lever.
