Lancashire Bridges: 5. Lune Aqueduct

Lune Aqueduct has been referred to as a "wonder" and a "masterpiece". Engineering Timelines calls it "architecturally the finest aqueduct in north west England". Completed in 1796, it carries the Lancaster Canal above the River Lune. It was designed by John Rennie and is now Listed Grade I.

It is certainly an impressive structure, with five massive semi-circular arches springing from huge stone piers. However, compared with Telford's beautiful Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, completed ten years later, it appears squat, even lumpen.

The bridge is monumental rather than elegant. The large semi-circular arches are one cause of this, as are the wide stone piers. It gives the impression it could stand forever, although of course it has required extensive repairs in the recent past.

Further information:

• Google maps / Bing maps
• Wikipedia
• British Listed Buildings
• Engineering Timelines
• Lancashire Canal Trust
• Heritage Locations
• CanalPlanAC
• The Bridges of Lancashire and Yorkshire (Slack, 1986)
• Civil Engineering Heritage: Northern England (Rennison, 1996)
• An Encyclopaedia of Britain's Bridges (McFetrich, 2010)
• Making Rennie's 1796 Lune aqueduct watertight again (Clarke, Proc. ICE, 2013)