Residents support campaign for Marple Locks to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status
Residents in a Stockport town have thrown their voices behind a campaign for a local landmark to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
The 16-lock flight along the Peak Forest Canal in Marple has been part of life in the town for centuries, after its completion in 1804.
It was built to connect two halves of the canal and was used as a key route for trade, along a waterway where the Peak Forest Canal meets the Macclesfield Canal.
Today, the canal locks are a destination for walking and cycling, giving residents in Marple and beyond access to stunning countryside.
Those living in the town say Marple's locks should be designated a World Heritage site to recognise the role it played in Greater Manchester's industrial past.
"We have to keep it like this for future generations," says Sue Knott, a Marple resident who has lived on Station Road next to the canal for the last 14 years.
The locks have been a hugely popular place for locals and visitors for as long as Sue can remember, but the 61-year-old says more young people have been flocking to the area in recent years.
"It's an amazing place with its links to the countryside in the area," she added. "We absolutely love it and go walking every night.
"There's always people here using it, at the weekends there are people constantly up and down the canal.
"You get all the youngsters coming here too with their TikToks, it's a wonderful place to be."
The call to recognise the locks as a World Heritage site was made by Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart, who was elected to Parliament last year but was previously a councillor in Stockport.
Marple's 16 locks already enjoy grade II listed status, as well as the aqueduct which is a grade I listed structure.
During a debate in Westminster Hall in November, the MP for Hazel Grove made the case for the lock flight in Marple to be recognised as World Heritage site, describing it as an "extraordinary testament to our industrial and engineering heritage."
"Our canals are not just waterways, they are part of our national story, and deeply woven into the fabric of our community," she added. "They are remarkable pieces of living heritage that we must protect."
Ms Smart said such recognition for Marple locks would be a boost for local tourism and attract global interest to the area, protecting them for the future.
Marple's community is right behind the campaign, with a number of residents and visitors telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that locks deserve international recognition.
We asked people if they thought Marple Locks should get World Heritage status
Brian Taylor lives on a narrowboat with his wife, and the pair spend their time travelling the country on Britain's waterways.
The 67-year-old Carlisle native met his other half while living out in South Africa, and when his partner suggested they buy a canal boat he jumped at the chance.
He wants to see places like Marple locks recognised by UNESCO and protected, so others in future can enjoy the experiences he has had.
"Looking at the towpath usage and the number of people that walk past us, it's very important that they're kept as a place for people to enjoy nature," he told the LDRS.
"It's an important part of the canal system, I'd support calls for it to become a World Heritage site.
"We have good fun on the canal boat, travelling along, seeing the countryside at a maximum of three miles an hour.
"You get people who are running and walking past you, you see the areas you are going through at their best. The canal system as a whole is something that must be perverse for future generations."
During a short walk along Marple locks on a sunny spring day, a number of people told the LDRS they were first-time visitors to the area.
It's clearly a favourite haunt for walks, but there were plenty of cyclists, runners and dogs enjoying the path too.
Ken Hainsworth, 83 lives in a cottage next to one of the locks. He said: "It's so beautiful, we sit in the garden and watch the boats come and go, it really is a nice area, it would be a shame if it ever changed.
"It needs recognition as a World Heritage site. I know there are different flights of locks in the country, but this one, all 16 locks, are marvellous."
Leah Hannon, 62, added: "I walk here to look at the birds and all the wildlife. I usually see a few people I know walking their dogs. It's just a lovely place to be, I feel like I'm on holiday.
"People come here for walks, tourists come from Manchester because you've got the train station just up the road.
"I think people would want to see it as a world heritage site, people are proud of the area, it is particularly beautiful."
World Heritage status is designated by UNESCO, the United Nation's arm for education, science, and culture.
It throws its weight behind protecting and preserving more than 1,200 sites around the world with World Heritage status.
The organisation said it can't comment on whether a particular place should be considered a World Heritage site, due to the formal nomination process that needs to be followed.
That would require the country to submit a nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List to get the ball rolling.
A UNESCO spokesperson added: "The decision for inscription is ultimately decided by the World Heritage Committee (the governing body of the World Heritage Convention, composed of 21 States Parties)."
The Canal and River Trust, the UK's largest canal charity, said it is looking forward to seeing how the World Heritage bid develops – but cautioned that the process would likely take several years to move forward.
A spokesperson added: "It's fantastic that people are so enthused by the region's wonderful centuries-old waterways heritage, including the spectacular Marple Locks on the Peak Forest Canal.
"It's something our teams of volunteers and staff work day-in day-out to keep open and available, for our boaters and residents but also the amazing wildlife that today call the canals home.
"Whilst nominations for World Heritage Status can take several years, we look forward to seeing how this develops.
"In the meantime, as a charity which cares for 438 miles of ageing canals in the north west alone, our priority is to continue to protect, preserve and ultimately keep our existing navigable 250-year-old network open and alive."
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