Canoe trail set to arrive in Leeds

To mark the official arrival of the trail in the city, a metal canoe sculpture will be unveiled next to Office Lock in Leeds city centre.

This will also act as a unique waymarker, indicating the distance to both ends of the trail (127 miles to Liverpool and 35 miles to Goole).

The project has been made possible by businessman Richard Desmond, who has funded the project through the Desmond Foundation.

It is run by national waterways and wellbeing charity Canal and River Trust, whose staff and volunteers are engaging with community groups along the route to help them enjoy, benefit from and look after their local waterway.

The arrival of the trail in Leeds comes shortly after the Leeds and Liverpool Canal toasted its 200th birthday and will be further celebrated at Leeds Waterfront Festival at Granary Wharf on June 23 and 24, when people will be able to try their hand at canoeing for free.

Danny Matley, Desmond Family Canoe Trail programme manager, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome members of the Desmond family to Leeds and showcase just some of the activities that young people enjoy through this unique coast-to-coast canoe project.

“We’re looking forward to bringing the trail to life for 16 to 25-year-olds across Leeds and helping them discover that life is better by water.”

To find out more, visit the website at bit.ly/2dw5PSa.