Canal Basin And Pier On Seaward End Of Ulverston Canal,Canal Foot

The canal basin and pier at the seaward end of the Ulverston Canal were constructed as part of the canal, which began in 1793 and opened in 1796, designed by engineer John Rennie. The pier is made of large rock-faced limestone blocks and extends eastward into the Ulverston Channel on the south side of the lock entrance. Its seaward end is rounded, and the southern wall is battered, featuring four cast-iron bollards set into it. The walls of the lock chamber are primarily constructed from sandstone blocks, with some brick repairs. The eastern lock gates have been replaced with concrete, while the decaying remains of the western gates are still visible. A 20th-century girder footbridge spans the chamber. To the west lies the Lower Basin, which is partially enclosed by rubble walls that also have brick repairs. Historically, the Ulverston Canal was a ship canal measuring one-and-a-half miles in length, terminating at Canal Head near the town. It was purchased by the Furness Railway in 1862, closed to traffic in 1916, and the lock gates were sealed with concrete in 1949.