Gunpowder, Sedgwick and the Lancaster Canal

The 18th century saw the beginnings of industrialisation in Britain, when the invention of machines performed the labour of umpteen people. Nowhere was the transformation more startling than in the textile industries, where large, water-powered mills replaced an age-old tradition of home working. Mechanisation affected other areas too, but the limiting factor to expansion was transport. Factories which were located beside navigable water could trade by boat, but the fast-flowing rivers and streams powering the new machinery lay far inland, accessible only by packhorses or lumbering carts. A second revolution came with the development of canals, which effectively took the seaboard into the heart of the countryside. Now serviced by cheap and speedy transport, the areas they reached profited from burgeoning new industries.

Kendal had long been a successful town, flourishing from the woollen and other industries, but remoteness from the main population and industrial centres became an increasing threat to prosperity. Although the canal age dawned in the mid-1750s with the Sankey Brook and Worsley canals, it was not until 1792 that a waterway linking Kendal to the industrial heartland of Lancashire via Lancaster and Preston was sanctioned. By 1797, barges were passing between Tewitfield and Preston, and a tramway across the Ribble later gave access to the south. The final section was this stretch into Kendal, routed via Sedgwick to serve the gunpowder factories beside the River Kent.

However, blocking the way was a hill, and the only means of avoiding a lengthy detour was to burrow straight through. Completed in 1817, the Hincaster Tunnel is 378yds (346m) long and, as you will see, remains a magnificent feat of engineering. To minimise expense, the tunnel did not include a tow path, instead, barges were pulled through by hand using a fixed cable or 'legged' by the bargees. Further obstacles lay in river and other crossings, two of which are passed on this ramble.

Although the aqueduct across Stainton Beck is hardly apparent from above, it is no less an achievement than the skew aqueduct at Sedgwick, where the walk begins. Have a look at its stonework as you pass beneath. A traditional arch would have had to extend over the full width of the crossing if it were not to lose its inherent strength. But, by laying the courses at an angle, the integrity of the structure was retained, allowing the span to be matched to the crossing. The result, I'm sure you'll agree, is as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical.

Commercial traffic ended in 1947, and the northern stretch was de-watered in 1955, with more sections disappearing beneath the M6 motorway and Kendal bypass. However, what remains is full of interest and beauty, and a delight to explore.

Where to eat and drink

Surprisingly, there are no inns or tea rooms at Sedgwick, but a visit to nearby Low Sizergh Barn, where you can have a light lunch or snack, is heartily recommended. And, if you pick the right time, you can even watch the cows being milked whilst you eat.

What to look for

Walking back to Sedgwick, look across the fields to Sedgwick House, built by the Wakefields in 1868. Originally a Kendal banking family, they began manufacturing gunpowder here in 1764 to supply the many quarries in the area. The Kent provided the power for a succession of factories they built along its banks and the firm continued to produce gunpowder until 1920.

While you're there

Nearby Levens Hall (to the west, just off the A6) is a real gem. Surrounded by a fantastic topiary garden, the splendid Elizabethan house was built around a 14th-century pele tower, constructed by the de Redman family. Later owners transformed its spartan chambers into a comfortable country residence. Beautifully maintained, it contains a host of treasures, including exquisite wood panelling, carvings and plaster mouldings.