Construction of the Preston to Tewitfield section of the canal, began late in 1792, in line with Rennie's specifications of a broad canal that could link into the Bridgewater Canal network, and opened in 1797. The last 14 miles known as the "northern reaches" were completed in 1819.  

Navvies

Work was carried out by groups of workers known as navigators, or "navvies", who came from all over the country as well as from Ireland to work on the canals. Tools were basic - spades, picks and barrows, with horses to help with carrying or pulling. The navvies were rough men who lived hard lives, and, when they arrived in any location, often struck fear into the hearts of local people.

The men who built the canals worked an average of a ten hour day, unless overtime was required, and received two shillings and two pence (i.e. 11p), whilst a stone mason working alongside them might receive three shillings (i.e. 15p) per day.

Once the channel had been dug, it had to be lined to make it water-tight, and this was done with clay - known as puddle. Puddle was spread across the channel and then packed down hard - either by the feet of the navvies, or sometimes by driving cattle up and down the puddle until it was sufficiently compacted. Depending on what type of ground the canal was being built over, the puddle could be up to three feet thick.

​This picture  gives you some idea of the construction - ​Navvies working to repair a breach in 1897, using exactly the same tools and methods of work as were the navvies who built the canal over a hundred years before.
[Photo courtesy of Lancaster Maritime Museum (Lancaster City Museums)]

Bridges, Tunnels and Aqueducts

Alongthe route, engineers designed bridges to allow roads and paths to cross the canal, a tunnel at Hincaster to allow the canal to be routed via Sedgwick and aqueducts to carry the canal over rivers (like the Lune),  streams (like at Stainton) and roads, (like at Sedgwick).  The bridges along the Lancaster Canal were built to a standard design, except where the canal passed through a large estate, where the land-owner insisted on having a bridge which he felt was in-keeping with the architectural style of his property.

Where the canal crossed rivers and streams aqueducts were built, and these varied from small single span ones, like Stainton, to the splendour of the Lune Aqueduct at Lancaster.

Water

In order to ensure a good supply of water for the Kendal section of the canal, the Company had determined to build its own reservoir, and in 1810 purchased 86 acres of land at Killington Common, some 5 miles to the east of Kendal (se map). Water would be brought from the reservoir by means of a feeder channel to enter the canal at Crooklands. (pictured right) 

​The reservoir, completed in 1819, has been enlarged several times and now covers 153 acres. It holds 766 million gallons when full, and has a maximum depth of 47 feet against the dam, which was built of clay and stone. Lying 750 feet above sea-level, and measuring about four miles round, the reservoir supplies up to 3.7 million gallons of water per day to the canal. It is one of the largest canal feeders in the country