Lancaster Canal which is Lancashire's largest body of water was built between 1792 and 1819 from Preston to Kendal via Lancaster (with a branch to Glasson Dock added later) to transport people and goods around Lancashire during the Industrial Revolution. However, as the canal declined in commercial importance after the arrival of the railways, it became more ecologically important as ecosystems have developed around the canal over time which is why the Lancashire section of the canal has been designated as a Biological Heritage Site.
The canal is particularly important for wildlife, especially as it brings wildlife into areas they otherwise wouldn't be in and it acts as a wildlife corridor linking up different habitats. The water supports a variety of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants such as irises as well as a variety of animals including ducks, moorhens, coots and mute swans which are common on the canal. The canal banks are equally as important for wildlife because they're covered by meadow plants, hedgerows and trees which support a rich variety of insects, birds and mammals of all sizes from mice to deer. Even the voids and cracks in the bridges and walls along the canal support wildlife because they're a good habitat for several types of bat as well as plants such as ferns and mosses.
The canal runs through most of northern and central Lancashire and thanks to the Lancaster Canal Trust in partnership with the Canal & Rivers Trust and other organisations, most of the canal still holds water and the public can still explore most of the canal by foot and boat while appreciating its heritage and natural beauty.
