Leeds & Liverpool Coal Traffic in Yorkshire

Historical Profiles: NarrowBoat, Autumn 2022

Mike Clarke

Chris Clegg

David Lowe

Davis Lowe, Mike Clarke and Chris Clegg comment on photos taken in 1954

This is the third set of photos to appear in NB from the Julian Thompson Collection owned by Online Transport Archive. His images of barges and narrowboats in the London area featured in the Winter 2020 and Spring 2021 issues. Trams were Julian Thompson’s main transport interest, several books having been authored by him, but he obviously had an interest in waterways too. The six images in this article show the Yorkshire side of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. They were taken over the two days of 13th to 14th September 1954 and covered a 12 mile length of the canal between Apperley Bridge and Kildwick. The Shipley photo is the odd one out, showing boats tied up; the other five are of craft on the move. The images at Hirst Lock, Bingley, Elam Grange and Kildwick were taken on 14th September 1954. The same boat is seen at Elam Grange and Kildwick, so the photographer may have been following it up the canal on foot or by car, having come across another uphill boat at Hirst Lock. …