WALKERS and boaters travelling enjoying the Leeds & Liverpool Canal may recently have noticed some new structures along its length.

Supporting plates inscribed with the distances from one point to another, they are mileposts, which have been specially crafted from metal to replace those that have gone missing over the years.

The Canal & River Trust, which cares for the canal network across the UK, marked the Leeds & Liverpool Canal’s 200th anniversary last year with a major fundraising appeal to restore or replace missing mileposts along the waterway’s 127 mile route in its EveryMileCounts campaign.

New mileposts and distance plates have been manufactured and when the project is complete there will be 17 new plates to replace those missing. “There has been a lot of refurbishment work,” says project officer with the Canal & River Trust Alice Kay. “Eighty per cent of painting has been completed, 28 new mileposts have been installed with the remainder planned for February.”

Altogether there will be 30 new mileposts and 109 new distance plates. “All 127 mileposts and the half and quarter posts in between will be painted,” says Alice.

Mileposts and milestones are found on most canals in England. They were used to calculate tolls for cargo carried along the canal. There are a variety of different styles but many have been lost over the years and some have been replaced. Metal mileposts were introduced in the 1890s. They mark the quarter, half, three-quarter and full miles along the whole length of the canal.

Four new mileposts have been installed between Skipton and Esholt, with others having previously been restored by young people working with the local charity Bradford Motor Education Project (BMEP).

“This area is in fairly good order - just in need of paint - as a result of a joint project with the Inland Waterways Association , British Waterways and Bradford Motor Education Project to restore the posts along this section. The project was coordinated by Dreamweavers, the marine division of BMEP, which supports the education, training and personal development of young people.

A number of different volunteering groups have been involved in the work both painting and cleaning up existing mileposts and helping to install new posts. Many of the volunteers are already associated with the canal and river trust and are doing their bit to help us

Says Alice: “We have received a great deal of support with donations from members of the public, businesses and partner organisations. As a result we have raised more than £5,000.”

Individuals and organisations can sponsor mileposts. "We hope this will mean that there is a lasting legacy after the project ends where communities will take care of and be proud of their milepost.”

The project is backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, whose grant of £36,600 has supported the appointment of a project officer, the fabrication of new mileposts and a programme of activities, heritage events and art workshops for local residents, plus events at schools.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England’s Yorkshire and Humber regional group was among those who donated.

Ron Healey, from CPRE, says: “The canal in West Yorkshire is a valuable amenity, a silver hedge and tree-lined ribbon supplemented by bank-side community pubs and other facilities for the many users - boaters, cyclists, walkers and fishermen. It is also a distinctive habitat for a variety of wildlife and provides havens of tranquillity which CPRE at all levels has been promoting countrywide.”

The first milestone was restored after being brought to the attention of the trust by Keighley resident John Webb, a keen local historian and canal enthusiast, who regularly walks the towpath and noticed a mile maker had been damaged and a broken section was buried in nearby undergrowth. He brought it to the attention of Canal & River Trust staff, who arranged its restoration.

New moulds for the mileposts and mileage plates were made using original Leeds & Liverpool Canal patterns

The canal is vital in terms of recreation and other leisure activities. Says Alice: “It is very important for users such as boaters, cyclists, walkers, runners and canoeists - the waterways of the North West attracted over 65 million visitors in 2015 alone.”

The Canal & River Trust encourage people to use and support the canal in a range of ways. “We use social media and web-based campaigns in local and regional media. We use campaigns often to highlight key messages but also to trigger and sustain interest in our waterways. We use local places of interest which offer a unique leisure attraction to the new visitor - and ensure that they are aware and spread the word about this free national attraction.”

Adds Alice: “We are very excited to work with groups and local communities who want to be involved with refurbishing or replacing mile markers, and the half and quarter mile markers which need re-painting. That’s over 500 posts which need restoration.

“This is a massive challenge so we are still very keen to hear from volunteer groups or sponsors who would like to make donations.”

*If anyone is interested in lending a hand in this project or the Canal & River Trust’s various volunteering opportunities they should visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/volunteer