Monument record 14208 - The Manchester Ship Canal

<1> Ashmore, O, 1982, The Industrial Archaeology of North West England, P.21 (Book). SCH3181.

The idea of a manchester ship canal goes back in origin to the 1820s or earlier, but was revived in the late 1870's when Manchester business men feared a permanent trade recession ans were concerned about the cost of trading through Liverpool Docks

Following the passing of the Manchester Ship Canal Act in 1885, the 25 and and half mile (57km) canal was built between 1887 and 1894, enabling sea going vessesl to come up from eastham to the new docks at Salford and making Manchester into a major port. Apart from the work on the main cut and locks, the construction involved the building of major railway deviation bridges and swing bridges on the main road crossings

<2> Nevell, M & George, D, 2014, A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Cheshire, p.2 (Book). SCH8021.

p.3 The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894 from Salford to Eastham locks northwest of Ellesmere Port. Transformed Manchester into an inland port. Also helped boost chemical production along its lower reaches between Ellesmere Port and Warrington

p.53 It canalised the course off the River Mersey from Warrington to Carrington and then the River Irwell to Manchester. West of Runcorn the ship canal is divided from the estuary by a long embankment to its sea exit at Eastham locks. The opening of the canal marked the end of the ports at the Runcorn terminus of the Bridgewater canal and at Warrington. It also cut off Ellesmere Ports direct access to the Mersey Estuary.

<3> Historic England, 2017, Canal and River Navigations National Overview., Part 2. p.207-208 (Report). SCH8424.

One of the heroic feats of Victorian engineering, the Manchester Ship Canal built under an Act of 1885 had a difficult gestation and cost more than twice its original estimate. It had to acquire the Bridgewater Navigation to be supplied by water from the River Irwell and build numerous high level rail bridges and swing road bridges and the Barton Swing Aqueduct to carry the Bridgewater Canal over the Ship Canal. Engineered by Leader Williams, it opened in 1894 and deadweight ships of 12,500 tons could now reach the extensive new docks at Salford and Manchester.

Most of the immense engineering works are of considerable significance as examples of very fine large scale Victorian construction.
The River Mersey and the Ship Canal are spanned by several notable railway and road bridges including those at Runcorn and Warrington.