Walton Summit Branch - Junction with Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Johnson's Hillock (1968)

The Walton Summit Branch of the Lancaster Canal is on the left, with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal going up the locks to the right. (14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Johnson's Hillock Bridge (1968)

(14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Looking north-west from Whittle Tunnel West towards Moss Bridge (1968)

(14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Moss Bridge, Whittle-le-Woods (1968)

The bridge carries the number plaque '5'. (14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Looking north from Mill Lane, Whittle-le-Woods (1968)

Swansey Mill on the left. Dog Inn Bridge in the distance. (14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Lancaster Canal milepost (1968)

Milepost reads: 'JUNCT'N L&LC 3 MILES'. (14 April 1968)

Lancaster Canal Company. Lancaster Canal terminus and basin at Walton Summit. 6 June 1936 (20)

Commencement of the Southern end of the Lancaster Canal (or Leeds & Liverpool) at Walton Summit.
Priestley, in his account of this canal says “The railroad rises 222 feet; at its termination, where the head level of the canal commences, there is a commodious basin and immediately adjoining commences a tunnel three hundred yards in length.” This will be through the ridge of high ground seen in the background of the photograph, taken on 06 June 1936.
The photo shows the surviving wall of the warehouse which spanned two short arms on either side of the wall. Coal and limestone were handled in longer arms on either side.
There was an RCHS visit to the tramway, led by Gordon Biddle, on 12 September 1959.
The most complete book on the subject is ’The Old Tramway’ by Steve Barritt, and published in 2000, ISBN 1-85936-058-0, and there is more useful archive material in the National Archive at Kew, in RAIL844, the Lancaster Canal papers.

Walton Summit Branch - Terminus from south-east (1968)

(14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Terminus, central arm (1968)

The shortest of the three arms. (14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Terminus, southern & central arms (1968)

(14 April 1968)

Walton Summit Branch - Terminus, west end of the southern arm, and tramway route to Preston (1968)

(14 April 1968)

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Incline near Walton Summit. May 1949 (17)

Stone block sleepers clearly visible along what is now a farm track. May 1949. Photo courtest of the Rev G Bryant

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Gough Lane. 6 June 1936 (16)

Gough Lane was the last level crossing before Walton Summit. The image also shows Summit farm in the background. 6 June 1936

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Site of Kellett Lane level crossing. 6 June 1936 (15)

View looking South-east of the oblique level crossing over Kellett Lane

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Site of Bamber Bridge level crossing. 6 June 1936 (14)

Site of level crossing, where the plateway passed between the McKenzie Arms public house (demolished 2013) and Bamber Bridge smithy (which was used for tramroad maintenance)

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Meanygate Lane (Mainway Gate) “ Tramroad Bridge”. 6 June 1936 (13)

At the exact point where the tramroad crossed Meanygate Lane on the level, the present railway from Preston to Blackburn crosses over by a bridge (FHR4 @ 2m 28ch). It should be noted that, although known today as “Tram Road Bridge”, the bridge is made for the convenience of Meanygate Lane and that the embankment is thrown across the actual line of route of the Tramroad. 6 June 1936

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Site of level crossing over Brownedge Road. 6 June 1936 (12)

Level crossing of tramroad with Brownsedge Road situated alongside Brownedge Farm

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Whitehouse Rise. June 1936 (9)

At Whitehouse Rise, the line commences to rise from river level to a height of 100 feet above sea level, climbing 75 feet in about 1700 feet, the gradient being about 1 in 22. The photo shows the summit level of this rise

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Walton Summit level near South Whitehouse Junction. 6 June 1936. (8)

Leaving the river, the tramroad proceeds on a low embankment and in a straight line for nearly three-quarters of a mile, and along each side of the line trees have grown. In this length the line is gradually converging on the present railway near Whitehouse South Junction but then curves round in a more easterly direction

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Former tramroad bridge over the River Ribble (7)

View looking towards the south bank. From a commercial picture postcard.

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Bridge over the River Ribble at Avenham in Preston. 6 June 1936 (5)

Last used by the tramroad in 1862; this view is as refurbished as a footbridge by Preston Corporation, but before reconstruction in concrete. The bridge in Preston is closed (as at 25 July 2021) as it is considered unsafe, and there are currently no plans to replace it.

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Bridge over the River Ribble at Avenham in Preston.. Looking north. 22 September 1963

Wooden planks; some piers are wooden, others are of concrete.

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. Bridge abutment, Garden St., Preston. 06 June 1936. (2)

Garden Street was crossed by an overbridge and there, in the form of the buttress of the bridge, is the only trace now to be seen of the tramroad in the town

Lancaster Canal Company, Preston & Walton Summit Tramroad. North end of former tramway tunnel at Preston. Feb 1951 (1)

North end of former tramway tunnel under Fishergate: now used as access to BR goods station. Photo courtesy of Rev. G Bryant. Feb 1951.