Welcome to Mike Clarke’s Home Page

Canals and canal boats, stationary and railway steam engines, vintage cars, textile machinery, water and wind mills: all of these have featured in my life as a professional industrial and canal historian and restoration engineer. I am best known for my work on the history and heritage of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and Canal & River Trust have named a lock at Bank Newton after me in recognition of almost fifty years promoting the canal's history and heritage. I was given a Pride in Barnoldswick award by Barnoldswick Town Council in 2014, and the Mersey Basin Campaign's Dragonfly Award in 2000. I am President of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society, and will be President of the Railway & Canal Historical Society in 2016-2018. I am also on the committee of Inland Waterways International.

Copies of some reports and articles I have written, as well as contemporary canal pamphlets, and other industrial, maritime and canal history material are available on these pages. I give illustrated lectures, and more details of all these services, as well as other information, can be found by following the links below.

A new book for the 200th Anniversary of the

Opening of the Canal from Leeds to Liverpool in 2016

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal, a history

Mike Clarke

This book has been published for the 200th Anniversary of the L&LC in 2016. It is 434 pages long, 250mm by 175mm portrait format, with over 200 illustrations, many in colour, and over 40 maps. It is a soft-back using digital printing.

ISBN 978-0-9519236-8-9

Direct from me, the cost is £28.00, including postage. It is £40.00 through booksellers. For more details, click on the link above, or contact me directly.

Mike Clarke

8 Green Bank

Barnoldswick

BB18 6HX

Email: mike.clarke@zen.co.uk

Brightwork

Mike Clarke and Sam Yates

This is a book on the traditional boat painting of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, 88 pages, 250mm by 170mm landscape format, ISBN 0-9519236-2-5, with numerous colour and b&w illustrations. The price is £8-00 soft-back, inc. P&P. A few hardback copies are available direct from me at £12-00. If you would like to order a copy, or just to receive more information, please send your details to the address above. Please make cheques payable to Mike Clarke.

I also sing in a couple of local choirs, helping preserve a strong northern tradition.

Links to further pages by Mike Clarke

Services provided by Mike Clarke

Mike Clarke's lectures page.

Mike Clarke's downloads page.

Canals and canal boats.

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Video of motor and sailing barges on the Aire & Calder Navigation and near Berlin.

Movable Bridges: an historical overview.

European work and contacts.

Textile history.

Vintage cars.