Anderton Boat Lift hosts behind-the-scenes public open day
We're inviting you to go behind the scenes at Anderton Boat Lift, Britain’s first commercial boat lift and Cheshire’s historic Cathedral of the Canals near Northwich, at a special free open day on Saturday 18 February, 10am – 3pm.
What to expect
Visitors will be able to hear specialist talks from engineers and ecologists about the importance of the boat lift and the region's canal network, as well as take part in a range of free exciting activities, including angling taster sessions, canoeing, children's engineering sessions and building bug hotels to support wildlife. Boat trips will also be available.
Our engineers will shine a light on the challenge of securing the long-term future of the Anderton Boat Lift, which each year carries around 3,000 boats between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Weaver. They will give an insight into the emergency £450,00 repair work which is taking place this winter at the Victorian Scheduled Monument, as well as proposals for a further major project to secure the long-term future of the lift and popular visitor centre.
The project
The repairs this winter feature two key projects. The pair of giant hydraulic ram cylinders, which support the metal tank caissons, are being given a much-needed overhaul.
A second project involves a complex plan to install two new ‘fall and arrest' safety systems in each of the lift's ten sets of gates. These act like giant seat belts in an emergency. This work follows problems with a safety feature last summer which resulted in the lift being shut in early August. New designs have now been prepared, approved by Historic England and manufactured. Once all these repairs have been carried out, the lift will have a short recommissioning period of up to four weeks before it is once again available to carry boats – hopefully in time for Easter.
A rare insight
Daniel Greenhalgh, our North West director, said: “We are delighted to host a special behind the scenes open day at Anderton this February.
“It will provide visitors with a rare insight into the constant challenge of keeping the Victorian boat lift operational. We will also be sharing information about plans for our new ‘Engineering the Future' project which we hope to start in autumn 2024, subject to funding. This will provide a much-needed overhaul of the lift, to give it the care and protection required to secure its longer-term future.”
The proposals
The first milestone was achieved in December, when we were awarded a £574,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the development phase of this major project.
The 1875 boat lift needs a major upgrade to keep it operational. The whole iron structure requires blast cleaning, repairing and re-painting, the timber control cabin replacing and IT operating system updating.
Also included in the proposals are plans to replace the large marquee, which is used to host school groups and events, with an alternative flexible building, including new toilets, plus updates to the visitor centre and grounds to improve the visitor experience, as well as the development of new learning, skills and outreach programmes. This will enable more visitors to enjoy the unique attraction and delve deeper into the site's fascinating history.
Entry
Entrance to the Anderton Boat Lift open day, visitor centre and café are free, but certain activities will need to be booked in advance to guarantee a place.
The Anderton Visitor Centre continues to welcome visitors throughout the winter at weekends – Saturdays and Sundays, 9.30am – 4.30pm.
