The Anderton Boat Lift
The Anderton Boat Lift has an amazing story from when it was originally built in 1875 to its restoration by the local community in 2002.
Built in 1875, under the direction of Victorian Engineers Edward Leader Williams, John Watt Sandeman and Edwin Clark, the Lift carries boats 54 feet and 4 inches from the River Weaver up the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Prior to that, goods were transferred between the two waterways by chutes which was slow and labour intensive.
Originally built under hydraulic power the Lift was converted to electric in 1908 under the supervision of Colonel J. A.Saner - Engineer to the Weaver Navigation Trustees.
In 1983, the Lift was deemed unsafe and closed to traffic but through both pressure and hard work from the local community – especially the Friends of the Anderton Boat Lift – a £7 million restoration programme brought the Lift back to life on 26th March 2002.
A great champion of the Lift was the late Fred Dibnah MBE, who visited the Lift and the River Weaver Navigation in 2004 at the end of a day's filming assignment.
Fred described the Lift as “simply wonderful”.
Read more about the Lift from photo journalist Keith Langston.
Images courtesy of the Keith Langston Collection.
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