Bingley comes together to celebrate its famous waterways heritage

The Five Rise Locks was a focal point of Bingley Canal Festival. Pictures by Mark Bickerdike.

Yorkshire's most well-known stretch of canal played a central role in celebrating the county's waterways heritage this weekend.

Bingley’s Five Rise Locks - which elevates the Leeds Liverpool Canal by 60ft in quick succession - was shown off in all its glory yesterday as the lovingly restored Kennet floating museum was brought down the locks and then opened to the public as part of the Bingley Canal Festival.

The festival brought the community together in their thousands, giving families the chance to take in canal history and enjoy a programme of entertainment that extended from the canal side into the town itself.

Organised by Bradford Council with the help of a small group of community volunteers, the festival was revived after first being held in 2016 to mark the Leeds Liverpool Canal’s 200th anniversary.

This time there were canoe lessons, exotic animals, a mobile blacksmiths and dry stone walling, while the Market Square was a focal point for stalls, food and drink. The Royal wedding was incorporated too with a screening of the televised action inside Bingley Arts Centre.