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Enter a key word to search for posts:The Weaver Navigation
Posted on: Monday April 3, 2017 at: 4:51 pm
The Anderton Boat lift, looking resplendent in the morning sun
We came down in this yesterday (Sunday) and met up with my cousin Peter and his wife Sue. The Anderton Boat Lift was opened in July 1875 and has two “caissons” which can each carry two full sized narrowboats, or one wide beam boat. One side goes down while the other goes up, and you are afloat the whole time. It is a slow journey and utilises two hydraulic rams, one for each caisson. The rams are solid steel and are thought to be the largest pistons in the world, being 50 feet long. Needless to say, the Boat Lift has been refurbished several times since being opened. It is, to those of us interested in such things, a fascinating experience.
It was a beautiful day for a gentle cruise on the Weaver navigation. Completely different to being on a canal – quiet, wide and with manned locks.
Today we went to the top of the Navigation – Winsford for a look at the top end. Stopping briefly at Northwich, we watched the traffic being halted as the swing bridge was opened to let a tall boat (a Canal and River Trust tug) through:
Northwich Town Swing Bridge opening
This would have been a common occurrence in the past when the Navigation would have been busy with commercial traffic – barges bringing bulk cargoes to the various factories along the Weaver, possibly taking away salt from the many salt mines there used to be around here. Nowadays it is fairly rare, perhaps just as well having seen the amount of traffic crossing the bridge!
congratulations a splendid achievment and the pictures are really good>you are certainly having plenty of variety on your travels>xxxx