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    Paddle on the Coastal Canal 🌊 Canals can be a Paddle on the Coastal Canal 🌊

Canals can be a great option for calmer days out on the paddleboard and kayak. We have some great routes along the Lancaster Canal and one of our favourites is the "Coastal Canal" route between Hest Bank & Bolten-le-Sands - the views are unreal!

🛶 Launch just south of Hest Bank (near Hasty Brow Road) and head north through the village, gliding parallel to the Coastal Road towards Bolton-le-Sands.

On a clear day you’ll get big Morecambe Bay views while you paddle the calm water of the Lancaster Canal - seaside vibes without the waves.

Good to know:
🔹Best on light-wind, clear days
🔹It’s an easy out-and-back - turn whenever you fancy
🔹Slow right down under bridges and give anglers/walkers a friendly hello
🔹Keep an eye out for swans, moorhens and herons along the reed edges
🔹Paddleboards and kayaks welcome.
🔹Don't forget to get your paddle licence (day passes or annual passes available links on our website "Paddle It" page.)

The Canal & River Trust have created useful guidance for paddling safely which you can find on our "Paddle It" web page via the link in our bio.

We recommend watching the ‘Paddler Code’ for a thorough understanding of how to respect, protect and enjoy paddling on the Lancaster Canal and other bodies of water. 🫶 

#LancasterCanal #PaddleIt #CoastalCanal #HestBank #BoltonLeSands #MorecambeBay #ExploreLocal #FamilyFriendly #PaddleboardingUK
    Not that you need another reason to visit the stun Not that you need another reason to visit the stunning Northern Reaches of the Towpath Trail...

Thanks to the lovely Charlotte of Broad Oak Bakes Honesty Huts (@broadoakbakes) there is now a honesty hut next to the Waterwitch Jetty at Crooklands where you can purchase tray bakes, drinks and preserves! 🍰🥛

The hut is topped up regularly and is a great little addition to the newly improved section of the Towpath Trail.

Don't forget to take any rubbish away with you 🫶

#TowpathTrail #LancasterCanalTowpathTrail #HonestyHut #Kendal #Crooklands
    We’ve had a fantastic time at the Westmorland Co We’ve had a fantastic time at the Westmorland County Show under snippets of blue skies! 

We’ve been hearing all about your towpath adventures and sharing tips and tricks for routes, spotting wildlife and getting outside to enjoy nature!

Thanks for all the support and see you again next year! 

#WestmorlandCountyShow #Kendal #Cumbria #Community
    Kendal Car Free Inspiration Weekend is on the 20th Kendal Car Free Inspiration Weekend is on the 20th & 21st September, is all about finding joy in the journeys we make without the car.

Celebrating International Car-Free Day, there's a whole host of fantastic cycling and nature themed activities throughout the weekend including...

🔹FREE basic bike repairs - Dr Bike session at The Cyclery
🔹FREE Cycle Confidence masterclass with Smile Cycling
🔹Green Sketching Workshop with Karen Bentley-Brown Future Fixers
🔹Car Free Adventure Film afternoon and Walk Britain talk
🔹& Overnight Family Cycling Adventure

The Overnight Family Cycling Adventure route includes some sections of the traffic-free towpath trail and low-traffic country lanes to a campsite in the beautiful Arnside and Silverdale national landscape. Giving you a taste of just how easy (and fun!) it is to explore by bike. 🚴‍♀️🚴

Find out more about each event and book your places via the link in our bio.

This is a community partnership event, developed with in kind support from The Eddington CIC (@wasteintowellbeing), @kendalmountainfestival, @futurefixers, @smile.cycling, @wearecyclinguk, the Cycle Touring Festival, Kendal Town Council, South Lakes Action on Climate Change, and @ntlakedistrict

#LancasterCanal #TowpathTrail #CarFreeKendal #FamilyCycling #ExploreLocal #InternationalCarFreeDay
    We’re so excited to be exhibiting at the Westmor We’re so excited to be exhibiting at the Westmorland County Show in Crooklands this week and would love to see lots of your faces!

The Lancaster Canal Towpath Trail has a stand where you can...
Pick up free maps and family-friendly route ideas
Get tips on buggy-friendly sections, cycle spots and paddle put-ins
Share your feedback on access, safety and wildlife sightings
Say hello to the team 👋

Whether you walk it, cycle it, paddle it, or simply appreciate it - come and be inspired for your next towpath day out.

Join us and explore this fantastic county show on Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th of September!

#WestmorlandCountyShow #LancasterCanal #TowpathTrail #Crooklands #Kendal #Cumbria #DogFriendly #WalkIt #CycleIt #PaddleIt #ExploreLocal
    Ever wondered who the people are behind the Lancas Ever wondered who the people are behind the Lancaster Canal Towpath Trail? 🤔

Here’s a little intro to who we are and what we do!

The Lancaster Canal Towpath Trail initiative is led by the Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership LCRP (that’s us). We’re a Community Interest Company (CIC) working to protect, promote and improve the Lancaster Canal and its towpath by making it more accessible, better connected, and more widely enjoyed by everyone.

We champion the Towpath Trail as a place to walk, cycle, paddle, appreciate, access and enjoy it!

The partnership is supported by a brilliant mix of local authorities and local and national charities, including:

Canal & River Trust @canalrivertrust
Inland Waterways Association @iwa_uk
Kendal Town Council
Lancaster Canal Trust
Lancashire County Council @lancashirecc
Lancaster City Council @lancaster_city_council
Westmorland & Furness Council @wandfcouncil

The wider partnership meets every quarter to share progress across key areas, from access improvements and biodiversity, to community engagement, promotion and funding.

The CIC itself is led by three directors, alongside our wonderful Project Manager, Helen Watson-Moriarty, who coordinates the day-to-day magic behind the scenes and @marthawoodmarketing who produces all our fantastic social media content for us.

So next time you’re out enjoying the trail, just know there’s a whole team working hard to keep it beautiful, safe and accessible for all. 🫶 

#LancasterCanalTowpathTrail #MeetTheTeam #BehindTheScenes #CommunityLed #TowpathTrail #CIC #CanalLife #AccessForAll #WalkItCycleItPaddleItEnjoyIt
    We spotted a Moorhen family on the canal last week We spotted a Moorhen family on the canal last week between Stainton and Crooklands 😍

Keep your eyes peeled and look out for the adult’s red-and-yellow bill and that little white undertail flicker. In this video there were several chicks hiding in the reeds behind.

The chicks are fluffy and black (with comical big feet!) and they usually stick close while the parents dive for insects, seeds and pond plants around the reed edges.

Remember....
• Give Moorhens, chicks and nests plenty of space
• Keep dogs close / on lead near the water in the spring–summer
• Best spotting times are calm early mornings and golden evenings

Other regulars to look out for along the towpath trail:
• coots (white beak),
• mallards,
• elegant swans,
• darting damselflies
• and the odd grey heron on patrol!

#LancasterCanal #TowpathTrail #CanalWildlife #Moorhen #Cumbria #Kendal #FamilyWalks #WalkIt
    Have you ever been to Hincaster Tunnel? 👀 A s Have you ever been to Hincaster Tunnel? 👀 

A stones throw away from Stainton and Crooklands, this is the only tunnel on the Lancaster Canal - a 378-yard (346m) feat driven through Hincaster Hill around 1813–1819 to complete the northern stretch into Kendal. Its handsome limestone portals are Grade II listed. 

There’s no towpath inside the tunnel, so in canal days the horses were led round the side via the Horse Path. Picture boats being hauled through below by ropes or chains while you follow the path to the side!

Be sure to stop and check it out whilst you're enjoying a walk...
🔹Wander the Horse Path and peek down to the east and west portals. 
🔹Look out towards Sedgwick and imagine the link to the historic gunpowder works the canal served. 
🔹If you’re on bikes you can re join the Towpath Trail near Well Heads Lane east of the tunnel (the Kendal–Stainton section is footpath/walkers only).

Hincaster Tunnel is another great perfect for curious kids, history-hunters and four-legged friends!

#LancasterCanal #TowpathTrail #HincasterTunnel #Crooklands #Kendal #Cumbria #WalkIt #ExploreLocal #FamilyWalks #CanalHistory #VisitKendal #VisitCumbria

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