Fully opened in 1816, it was responsible for bringing prosperity to the towns of Wigan and Leigh, and promoted the area's key two industries: coal and cotton. Evidence of these industries can be seen along the banks of the canal, which offer a blend of town and country walks.

In Wigan, a Heritage Trail guides you through the town's rich industrial past. Another interesting towpath walk will take you from the Ring O'Bells pub near the village of Burscough, on the A59 between Liverpool and Preston, via Prescott bridge and the Rufford stretch of the canal, back to the Ring O' Bells pub. The path passes through old canal cottage settlements that give a nostalgic impression of what the working canal must have been like.

Ordnance Survey Map: OS EXP 285 (3)