Skip to main content

The charity making life better by water

Free open weekend at our iconic Anderton Boat Lift

We are inviting you to join a special free winter open weekend at the iconic Anderton Boat Lift.

Anderton Boat Lift

Our education team have organised some fun family activities on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 February between 10am – 3pm including building a model canal bridge and canal art activities.

Visitors can also enjoy a special Lego ‘make and take' session. The Trust's master Lego builder will help visitors create a model of the Boat Lift or the Trust's Well-B mascot. Sessions last 30 minutes and are pre-bookable.

See how the lift works

Thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, the free event will allow visitors a rare chance to see how the lift works and chat to the people who keep it running. There will be guided tours to the top of the lift and a unique opportunity to visit the ‘dry well' at the bottom of the lift while it is under repair.

Visitors will also be able to join in free angling and canoeing activities on the Trent & Mersey Canal and gain free access to the Lift's interactive exhibition area which tells the fascinating story of the lift. During the weekend, fresh food will be available in the Lift's Coffee Shop and there is a well-stocked shop selling a variety of gifts, including canal-themed items.

Research shows that being by water has a positive effect on people's physical and mental wellbeing, and the open day is part of our drive to encourage more visitors to the waterways.

A completely different perspective

Since 2012, players of People's Lottery have helped fund £9.2m of our projects. This includes many important projects from community outreach and habitat protection to structural projects.

Graham Wood, duty manager at Anderton Boat Lift, said: “While winter repairs take place at the lift, this free weekend is a chance to see the structure from a completely different perspective and quite literally from ‘top to bottom'.

"At the base of the Lift, water will be drained, giving an opportunity to marvel ‘up close' at the Victorian engineering of this spectacular fifty-foot-high lift. During the weekend, there will be talks about the lift and activities for children. Including a special Lego building session for all ages. For those unable to access to the dry well, there will be video footage.”

“We are delighted that the players of People's Postcode Lottery have made this Open Weekend possible. Come along and see this engineering marvel and all the free activities, you won't be disappointed!”

Last Edited: 31 January 2020

photo of a location on the canals
newsletter logo

Stay connected

Sign up to our monthly newsletter and be the first to hear about campaigns, upcoming events and fundraising inspiration