MOST of us know about the Sankey Canal running through St Helens, and its unique place in history as England's first navigable stretch of man-made waterway. But Gordon Kilshaw of Burtonwood recalls seeing old maps showing a second canal within the borough. And he'd love to know more about it.

This, he reveals, ran from the top of Croppers Hill to somewhere around the area of Elephant Lane, Thatto Heath.

"I've been told that workmen came upon a section of it in the 1980s," adds Gordon, "and I've seen it mentioned in books."

Now, Gordon is hungry for the following details. He'd like to know the name of the canal, who built it, and when it closed. "If possible," he signs off, "I'd also like to know the route it took, the reason it was created and what goods were carried."

ANYONE with info on any of Gordon's queries could kindly write to Whalley's World.