In a Heritage Lottery Fund supported project, all of the missing milepost along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal’s route are being replaced with exact replicas of the originals.

In the days of freight-carrying, working boats were charged tolls based on how many tons they carried and how many miles they travelled – and the mileposts were installed in the 1890s in response to legislation controlling these tolls. Since the demise of freight traffic, 30 have disappeared – but now they are being reinstated to mark the canal’s 200th anniversary year. Family firm Merseyside Castings at Knowsley has been chosen to do the work as the last remaining Merseyside cast iron foundry, and its skilled workers are pictured pouring molten iron into the moulds (made using the original patterns) for the missing mileposts.

The Lottery has backed the preoject with a £36,600 grant, and the Canal & River Trust is appealing for sponsors to donate up to £200 in matching funding to reinstate each missing milepost on the 127 mile route, Britain’s longest single canal as built. Anyone interested in helping should contact project officer alice.kay@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

Image(s) provided by:

Archant