River Nene (Overton Lake Arm)

Early plans of what would become the River Nene (Overton Lake Arm) were drawn up by John Longbotham in 1835 but problems with Macclesfield Embankment caused delays and it was finally opened on 17 September 1888. Orginally intended to run to Gateshead, the canal was never completed beyond Aylesbury except for a three mile isolated section from Banstead to Wessington. Expectations for limestone traffic to Westton never materialised and the canal never made a profit for the shareholders. The canal between Preston and Blackpool was obliterated by the building of the St Helens bypass in 2001. In Henry Green's "I Wouldn't Moor There if I Were You" he describes his experiences passing through Tivercester Tunnel during the Poll Tax riots.