This is the longest canal built in Britain as a single waterway yet is one of the least busy, providing a tranquil facility for all kinds of recreation.

The Leeds-Liverpool is 127 miles long and, via its connection with the Aire and Calder Canal at Leeds, offers a coast-to-coast route across the north of England.

It is an ideal place for walkers, well served by bus routes and rail stations. Thirty-four walks have been waymarked on or around the canal, detailed in specialist guides available from the British Waterways office, local tourist information centres and local libraries.

The towpath is in good condition along most of the canal so it is also suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

All cyclists using the canal must display a cycling permit, as the towpath is rarely a public Right of Way. Permits can be downloaded free of charge from the British Waterways website.

Many hire craft and trip boats can also be found along the canal’s length, including trips from Skipton, Foulridge and Wigan. It is also possible to travel the canal by canoe, though you must either be a member of the British Canoe Union or obtain a permit from British Waterways to do so.