Category: WATERWAYS

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The entrance lock to the St Helens Canal from the tidal River Mersey is only useable near high tide. There were once a pair of locks here and...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Looking towards the River Mersey from the entrance lock to the St Helens Canal when the tide is out. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 00.045.02 OS Grid Reference SJ...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The entrance lock is in full working order and available for use when the tide is in.  A well used footpath runs across the top gate.  The...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The towpath changes sides at Carter House Swing Bridge which has recently been replaced and seems to be in full working order, just waiting for boats to pass....

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Fiddler’s Ferry Power station sits near the canal.  A freight only railway line runs parallel to the canal and is used to bring coal to the power station.  A...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The St Helens Canal runs close to the tidal River Mersey for the first 8 km (5 miles).  Looking to the west we can see the three cranes starting to...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Looking west, along the tidal River Mersey,  from one of the viewpoints along the St Helens Canal the crane and low level causeway in the foreground are...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > A cormorant finds the redundant signal post a handy perching place to look down on the canal and across the adjacent River Mersey. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 02.625.02...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The handrail across the canal marks the location of a missing aqueduct where a local watercourse once passed under the canal and now cuts across the canal in...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > A local watercourse, once passed under the canal at an aqueduct and now crosses in an open channel.  The pipe across the channel maintains the water flow between...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > A modern bridge strides across the canal and the adjacent railway, replacing an old swing bridge and level crossing just to the east. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 03.855...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Marsh House Swing Bridge is now a fixed structure where the road crosses the adjacent railway at a level crossing. The bridge forms the current limit of...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Looking west from the fixed Marsh House Swing Bridge shows the channel is completely filled with reeds,but practical to restore. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 05.355.01 OS Grid Reference...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > A 660m section of canal is open next to Fiddler’s Ferry Lock, running east from Marsh House Swing Bridge. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 05.355.02 OS Grid Reference SJ...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Looking East along the St Helens Canal the swing bridge on the right carries the towpath across Fiddler’s Ferry Lock which grants access to the tidal River...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Fiddler’s Ferry Lock links the 600m open section of canal to the tidal River Mersey.  The first stage of restoration of the St Helens Canal proposes to...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The River Mersey, looking upstream at Fiddler’s Ferry Lock, where it’s starting to look more like a river than a tidal estuary. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 05.515.04 OS...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The first swing bridge to the east of Fiddler’s Ferry Lock is still operational and divides the open section of the St Helens Canal into two parts. Waterway...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Lots of moored boats on the open section of the St Helens Canal. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 05.650 OS Grid Reference SJ 56196 86610 Date and Time 151229...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The second swing bridge after Fiddler’s Ferry Lock is now fixed. Restoration of the canal will require it to swing again. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 05.830 OS Grid...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Penketh Swing Bridge is another bridge now fixed across the canal. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 06.370 OS Grid Reference SJ 56801 86987 Date and Time 151229 121044 Copyright...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Modern housing approaches the north side of the canal, but is separated by the railway which still runs parallel to the canal.  The towpath is great for...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Marsh Swing Bridge is another which no longer swings.  There’s also a pipe running across the canal at bridge deck level, just to the right of the bridge...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Several long lengths of the St Helens Canal have fencing between the towpath and the canal with red signs saying “No Angling” and warning of the unstable...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Now fixed too low for navigation the former swing railway bridge will be one of the more difficult problems to tackle during restoration of the canal.  This is...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Parallel to the fixed railway bridge is a swing footbridge that was restored some time ago and, although it looks like it could do with a lick...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Liverpool Road Bridge, around 100m from the fixed railway bridge, is another fixed bridge which will require considerable money and ingenuity to find an acceptable solution to make...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Continuing beyond the two fixed rail and road bridges the next bridge is a footbridge with navigation clearance across a channel that looks ready for boats already. Although...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Looking down from the footbridge it’s not hard to imagine a little dredging taking place to clear the channel for navigation. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 08.730.02 OS...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Sankey Way crosses the canal just above water level in the centre of this photo.  Fortunately there seems to be space to raise the road to create navigation...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Sankey Way will require raising to create navigation clearances. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 09.095.01 OS Grid Reference SJ 58976 88214 Date and Time 151229 124941 Copyright ©...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > North of Sankey Way there are sections of canal which look ready for navigation. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 09.095.02 OS Grid Reference SJ 58976 88214 Date and...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > The Sankey Valley Park, with lots of amenities, follows the line of the St Helens Canal and the adjacent Sankey Brook. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 09.565.01 OS...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Warrington Widnes > Another footbridge already high enough for navigation, above a channel looking ready for navigation. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 09.565.02 OS Grid Reference SJ 59058 88663 Date and Time 151229...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Widnes > Known as the “Seven Arches” there are seven arches plus one flat span across the canal. There are suggestions that the flat span once lifted to allow masted...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Viewed from the foot of the Sankey (Seven Arches) Railway Viaduct the canal looks ready for boats. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 09.930 OS Grid Reference SJ 58994 89036...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The narrow road bridge (nearest the camera) was a swing bridge but is now fixed.  A modern footbridge (with the white railings) is also fixed and both prevent navigation...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The walls and basic structure of Bewsey Lock are still there, ready for restoration. Like all the locks on the St Helens Canal, this is a broad lock...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > An interpretation board at Bewsey Lock provides lots of information about the lock, the swing bridge across it, and the surrounding area. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 10.630.01 OS...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > A modern swing bridge replaces the former swing bridge across Bewsey Lock.  This is ready to swing once the vegetation is cleared and the lock is restored.  It...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The structure of Bewsey Lock is still there, waiting to be restored, with the gate recesses clearly visible in the stonework.  The channel to the north is still...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Starting about 550m north of Bewsey Lock, and for almost 1km (1/2 mile), the Sankey Brook has been diverted to run along the St Helens Canal.  Don’t let the name...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The channel is kept dredged and clear of vegetation where it’s shared with the Sankey Brook to allow flood water to pass through, on its way to the...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The outline of Hulme Lock is clearly visible.  We’re looking northwards, that’s uphill, yet the land level beyond the lock is lower than the lock.  Subsidence from coal...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The hand rails on the left are for a Lift Bridge which crosses the entrance to the dry dock.  There’s no lifting mechanism, just a hinge at the...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Looking into the dry dock from the lift bridge.  Boats would have been maintained in here, after the water had been let out through sluices, into the Sankey...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The grass marks the line of the canal which heads straight for the embankment of the modern M62 motorway. There’s certainly enough height difference to construct a bridge...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > The West Coast Railway Line runs parallel to the canal for 2½ km (1½ miles) to the north of Warrington Bank Quay station and the gates of Winwick Lock...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > A cycle and walking path follows the line of the canal for most of the length, including the approach to Earlestown. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 14.905 OS Grid...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Approaching Hey Lock from below. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 15.400 OS Grid Reference SJ 58233 93729 Date and Time 151229 135918 Copyright © Paul Balmer

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Below Bradley Lock another swing bridge has already been restored, waiting for boats to pass through. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 16.350 OS Grid Reference SJ 57672 94408 Date...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Bradley Lock, viewed from below, showing a small rise in canal level. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 16.625 OS Grid Reference SJ 57399 94406 Date and Time 151229 140637...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Bradley Lock has interesting holes in the stonework.  I expect someone knows what they were for. Waterway and Kilometerage HELENS 16.680.01 OS Grid Reference SJ 57338 94433 Date and Time...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Earlestown Warrington > Bradley Lock, looking uphill, although the ground level suggests otherwise.  The level of the land and the towpath above the lock are at the same level as that...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Old Double Locks Jn Warrington > The recent path follows the line of the canal under the Railway Viaduct, known locally as Nine Arches, which carries the Chat Moss Line from...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Old Double Locks Jn Earlestown > Part of Newton Common Lock is visible, with the far end under the road which was once a swing bridge. Note the...

< Next St Helens Canal Next > < Old Double Locks Jn Earlestown > Local water courses flow along the channel of the canal before joining the Sankey Brook.  The water level can overtop the banks...