Mike Clarke Lock tribute to ‘Mr Leeds & Liverpool’

Mike Clarke, ‘Mr Leeds & Liverpool’, has had lock in the Yorkshire Dales named after him in honour of his tremendous contribution to the canal.

Mike Clarke

Mike, a renowned canal historian, founder and president of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society, has been honoured during the canal’s bicentenary year when Bank Newton Lock no 38 near Gargrave was renamed after him in tribute to his tremendous contribution to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal – a close association which spans nearly five decades.

The Canal & River Trust felt the canal’s 200th anniversary year would be a fitting moment to create a lasting tribute to his achievements by re-naming a lock in his honour. Mike and other VIP guests arrived at the lock naming ceremony on April 9th aboard the Kennet, a specially converted education boat which Mike and other canal society volunteers use to tour along the Leeds & Liverpool promoting its heritage to visitors.

When invited to choose a lock, Mike decided on Bank Newton overlooking the Yorkshire Dales National Park because of its beautiful countryside. He said: “I have visited canals over much of the world and have rarely found anywhere that compares with the awe-inspiring view over the Dales offered by the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Bank Newton in Yorkshire. “To have a lock named after you is a great honour and I very much appreciate the gesture from the Canal & River Trust.”

Born in Liverpool, Mike’s love affair with England’s longest man-made waterway began in 1972 when he acquired Pluto, a traditional Leeds & Liverpool wideboat and spent the next five years living aboard, restoring it to its original condition. Living and breathing canal life, he was also fascinated by the industries associated with the waterway. For many years, he was employed as a restoration engineer, eventually working at the Lancashire Textile Museums in Helmshore which provided a useful technical background for his extensive historical research. His first book on the canal’s history was published in 1990. After that, he launched himself as a freelance industrial historian and has never looked back. Over the years he has published a range of books and articles, made several TV appearances, including a programme for Bavarian television, spoken on canals at conferences across Europe and in China, travelled extensively in Eastern Europe. He serves on the committee of Inland Waterways International and from May this year will be president of the Railway & Canal Historical Society.

In 1997 Mike became the driving force behind the founding of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society, with the aim of encouraging better public knowledge and understanding of our waterway heritage. He now serves as its president, having seen the society grow into a flourishing group with more than 170 members.

Chantelle Seaborn, North West Waterway Manager for the Trust said: “Mike Clarke is ‘Mr Leeds & Liverpool’. More than anyone else, he has promoted this wonderful waterway to the public. His energy and enthusiasm have inspired hundreds of adults and children over the decades. He has generously shared his time, expertise, knowledge and resources with countless individuals and organisations, including the Trust. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to this remarkable man than to leave a permanent reminder of his wonderful contribution on a lock of the canal that has become part of his DNA.”

At the event, Mike also launched a new enlarged edition of his popular book ‘The Leeds & Liverpool Canal, a history’.’ Mike’s new book can be purchased directly from him, and details are on his website www.mikeclarke.myzen.co.uk, or at £40 through bookshops, ISBN 0-9519236-8-4.

Thanks to Canal & River Trust for information and photo.

All materials and images © Canal Junction Ltd. Dalton House, 35 Chester St, Wrexham LL13 8AH. No unauthorised reproduction.

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