Monument record 5015 - Mersey Flat in River Mersey

Remains of a mersey flat vessel identified during a walkover survey. Mersey flats are a type of flat bottomed barge , used locally on inland and coastal waters. They were built in large numbers from the early 18th century and were used to transport goods from Manchester, the Cheshire Salt towns and local coal fields. Large numbers survived into the 20th century but they were abandoned as inland waterway traffic dwindled .