Monument record 5010 - Mersey Flats at Widnes West Bank Dock

<1> Stammers M (ed), 1999, Mud Flats. Archaeology in Intertidal and Inland Waters around the Mersey Estuary., 1/p.6 Stammers, M.K .The Archaeology of the Mersey Estuary: Past Work and Future Potential (Report). SCH5366.

At Widnes, the West Bank Dock which closed about 1970 contained a collection of around 20 Mersey flats in its North arm. The most intact, the Sir Robert Peel, built in 1843 was recorded in 1973. The dock has since been filled in and landscaped.

<2> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Watson, Moya 30/09/2010 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

Aerial photographs from the 1970's (source 3) show that a number of hulls are visible in dock.

<3> Huntings Surveys Ltd, 1971-1973, 1971-1973 County Survey (Aerial Photograph). SCH4881.

<4> L-P Archaeology, 2019, Archaeological Desk Based Assessment: MacDermott Road, Widnes, R4403 (Client Report). SCH8834.

An archaeological desk-based assessment was produced in 2019 for a site at McDermott Road, Widnes, WA8 0PF, which is proposed for redevelopment. The site is currently occupied by depot buildings at the south and east, soft landscaping to the west, and areas of hardstanding elsewhere. The area of development directly overlies West Bank Dock which was infilled in the late 1970s, as depicted on OS mapping dating to 1978-84, with as many as 20 Mersey Flat boats being scuppered and used in the infill.

The Mersey Flat sailboats were a unique type of boat used upon the Mersey during the 19th and early 20th century. Two of these boats, the Bedale (1890) and the Sir Robert Peel (1852), were surveyed in detail in 1971-1975, prior to the draining and demolition of the West Dock (ECH4708). Both boats have since been demolished. As a rapidly disappearing part of local history, the Mersey Flat boats have research value and any complete or well preserved examples found buried would be of some significance.