The canal originally went into Preston city centre, but now starts at Ashton Basin. The distance marked on the milestones is from the original start of the canal.
The milestone is made of stone and has an oval plaque on each side with the distance as a large number. On many of the milestones the plaques are blue.
Not all of the original milestones still exist along the canal, and in some cases the milestones no longer have distance plaques attached.
The milestones appear to face the wrong way, however the number shown is to let boats know how far they had travelled.
Sponsor a milestone
The Canal and River Trust are appealing to local groups and individuals to sponsor a stone and preserve their local canal heritage by giving donations of up to £200. They hope the restoration of the traditional milestones will encourage local communities to get involved with the wonderful historic living waterway on their doorstep.
If you are interested in getting involved please contact Anna Barlow at: enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk