Editing Leeds and Liverpool Canal (section)

===Background===
In the mid-18th century the growing towns of [[Yorkshire]], including Leeds, [[Wakefield]] and [[Bradford]], were trading increasingly. While the [[Aire and Calder Navigation]] improved links to the east for Leeds, links to the west were limited. Bradford merchants wanted to increase the supply of limestone to make lime for mortar and agriculture using coal from Bradford's collieries and to transport textiles to the [[Port of Liverpool]].<ref name="Bradford">{{cite news |title=Origin & Historic Development |url=http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/1F7D2D6B-8298-4893-AA99-2CE7C2EA2D00/0/Leeds_Liverpool_2_Historic_Development.pdf |publisher=Bradford Council |access-date=27 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320020407/http://www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/1F7D2D6B-8298-4893-AA99-2CE7C2EA2D00/0/Leeds_Liverpool_2_Historic_Development.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2012 }}</ref> On the west coast, traders in the busy port of Liverpool wanted a cheap supply of coal for their shipping and manufacturing businesses and to tap the output from the industrial regions of [[Lancashire]]. Inspired by the effectiveness of the wholly artificial navigation, the [[Bridgewater Canal]] opened in 1759–60. A canal across the Pennines linking Liverpool and [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] (by means of the Aire and Calder Navigation) would have obvious trade benefits.

A public meeting took place at the Sun Inn in Bradford on 2 July 1766 to promote the building of such a canal.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Leeds & Liverpool Canal|last=Clarke|first=Mike|year=1994|publisher=Carnegie Publishing|isbn=1-85936-013-0}}</ref> John Longbotham was engaged to survey a route. Two groups were set up to promote the scheme, one in Liverpool and one in Bradford. The Liverpool committee was unhappy with the route originally proposed, following the [[River Ribble|Ribble]] valley through [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]], considering that it ran too far to the north, missing key towns and the [[Wigan]] coalfield. A counter-proposal was produced by John Eyes and Richard Melling, improved by [[Peter Perez Burdett|P.P. Burdett]], which was rejected by the Bradford committee as too expensive, mainly because of the valley crossing at [[Burnley]]. [[James Brindley]] was called in to arbitrate, and ruled in favour of Longbotham's more northerly route, though with a branch towards Wigan, a decision which caused some of the Lancashire backers to withdraw their support, and which was subsequently amended over the course of development. In 1768 Brindley gave a detailed estimate of a distance just less than {{convert|109|miles|km}} built at a cost of £259,777 (equivalent to about £32.67 million as of 2014).<ref>{{harvnb |Priestley |1831 |p=386}}</ref>

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Leeds and Liverpool Canal Act 1770
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of Great Britain
| long_title            = An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Cut or Canal from Leeds Bridge, in the County of York, to The North Lady's Walk in Liverpool, in the County Palatine of Lancaster; and from thence to the River Mersey.
| year                  = 1770
| citation              = [[10 Geo. 3]]. c. 114
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 19 May 1770
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
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| status                = 
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| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
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| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
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| collapsed             = yes
}}
The '''{{visible anchor|Leeds and Liverpool Canal Act 1770}}''' ([[10 Geo. 3]]. c. 114) was passed in May 1770 authorising construction, and Brindley was appointed chief engineer and John Longbotham [[clerk of works]]; following Brindley's death in 1772, Longbotham carried out both roles.