Navigation Closure: Anderton Boat Lift

Passage on the Anderton Boat Lift from Friday 7 April is now available to book via your online account. Alternatively, you can call and book with our team by calling 0303 0404040.

At present, passages can only be booked up until Sunday 23 April. We will be releasing the full passage schedule from Monday 24 April online on Monday 17 April, following the testing period.

You can find our 2023 Operating Schedule here.

Over the many months that the Anderton Boat Lift has been out of service we have experienced and overcome some very significant challenges but works have continued to progress well. As we enter the recalibrating phase and carry out the safety testing, we are now in a position to confirm we will be open with one caisson from the Easter Weekend from Friday 7 April as planned.

Working with a unique structure that has undergone works never before attempted, as well as being out of operation for a long period of time, we will be operating on a reduced schedule for the first 2 weeks. This is effectively a recommissioning period that we want to make available to boating customers in time for the Easter holidays, also being aware that the Lift has been unavailable and under repair for such a prolonged period of time. This period will allow our customers to plan ahead and use the Lift, as well as guarantee passage should we incur any unscheduled breakdowns, possibly with some delays.

Passage for the first two weeks only will be available to book from Monday 3 April.

From Monday 24 April, we expect to be in a position to offer our normal full passage schedule with both caissons in operation. We are not expecting there will be any changes to this, but we will confirm and issue progress updates during the testing period, only if any changes are necessary.

Passage from Monday 24 April will be available to book from Monday 17 April, subject to the successful testing period.

All passages must be booked in advance, we will not be able to take bookings onsite. Bookings can be made via your online account. Alternatively, you can call and book with our team on 0303 0404040.

We would really like to thank our customers for their patience during this time and look forward to seeing you and your boats back at the Lift and on the Weaver Navigation this summer. 

We have successfully completed the hydraulic cylinder works and the annual maintenance at the Anderton Boat Lift and have now started on the gate safety system repairs. The stop planks are being installed within the basin at the canal end and we have already started to remove some of the more complicated parts ready to be replaced with the new. These works will continue over the next four weeks with a full recommissioning at the end of the project.

We are still on plan to re-open with one side of the Lift by the Easter weekend.

Please note, we are unable to provide the 2023 passage schedule and re-open bookings until certain works are complete. Once the 2023 passage schedule has been established, we will advise on this notice.

We would like to thank everyone who attended our Open Day at the Lift last week and hope everyone enjoyed their visit.

A further update on the progress of these works will be provided by Friday 31 March.

Work to the Anderton Boat Lift is ongoing, both caissons and cylinders have been released ready for the seals and bearings to be replaced. The east cylinder has been polished and dismantled as the old parts are cleaned and the new parts are inserted to make sure that the new oil stays in the system. The same works to the west cylinder will start at the beginning of February.  

Alongside this, we will be carrying out a programme of complex works to the gate safety systems over the next 2 months, as well as the annual maintenance to fit in between.

Stop planks will be installed within the basin at the canal end, towards the end of February, to drain down the aqueduct to allow us to provide safe scaffolding platforms for the gate safety works. Whilst the basin is drained, we will also fit in some additional work to the aqueduct valves.

We are holding an Open Day at the Anderton Boat Lift on Saturday 18 February, where you can learn more about these works, as well as enjoy a range of activities. You can see more about this here:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-events-canal-festivals/2023-02-18-anderton-boat-lift-open-day

Please note, we are unable to provide the 2023 passage schedule and re-open bookings until certain works are complete and we have a better understanding. Once the 2023 passage schedule has been established, we will advise on this notice.

A further update on progress of these works will be provided by Friday, 24 February.  

Whilst we have experienced some delays on the manufacture of the seals for the main hydraulic rams as planned in our winter works programme, designs to repair the gate safety systems are complex and require review which is ongoing in the background. We are still hopeful to re-open to the public by Easter 2023.

Due to the complexity and uniqueness of the Anderton Boat Lift, there are many factors that need to be considered. Our teams continue to work closely with our contractors and a further update on progress will be provided by Friday 27 January 2023.

The winter works project to the main hydraulic cylinders at the Anderton Boat Lift will start as planned mid-November. Investigations have been carried out to create a plan that will allow us to detach the hydraulic cylinders from the caissons in order to replace the seals.

Due to the unique structure of the Lift, the works to ensure the guillotine gates are safe is taking longer than anticipated. It is critical that these elements are safe. The design works need to be carried out and checked by an independent company, the finished design will then need to gain Historic England consent. Once the design has been signed off, it will need to be built. 

Once all the repairs have been carried out there will need to be a 2-to-4-week recommissioning and it is anticipated that the Lift will re-open to the public at the end of March 2023. We will endeavour to advance on this timeframe, however due to the unknown variables, as the seals have never been changed before, we are unable to advise a more accurate timeframe at this time.

An update on progress made will be provided by Friday 25 November 2022.

We would like to thank all those who have been affected by the closure of the Anderton Boat Lift, for your patience and understanding and contacting our North West Support Team to arrange the next steps in exiting the Weaver Navigation via the Manchester Ship Canal to Ellesmere Port.

We have now completed two out of three workshops at Anderton Boat Lift which included an in-depth presentation from an independent Marine Surveyor, provided key information and advice and to gain the necessary paperwork in order to cross the Manchester Ship Canal, with a further workshop planned on Monday.

We are pleased to advise the first of seven planned passages from Marsh Lock will start from Monday 22 August where customers will be supported by a number of teams and escorted in small groups.

We will be contacting customers who are requiring passage from Ellesmere Port to the Weaver Navigation next week to arrange the workshop and required paperwork for travel.

We are urging anyone who has not yet contacted our team and is requiring travel to or from the Weaver Navigation and Ellesmere Port, to get in touch as soon as able. Please call our North West Support Team on 0303 0404 040, Monday to Thursday 8:30 - 17:00 and Friday 8:30 - 16:30.

The Anderton Visitor Centre remains open to visitors, as well as River Trips and events. 

Following our previous update, we have continued to work on the problems at the Anderton Boat Lift.  We can now see that a repair is needed that will affect all of the aqueduct gates at the site, requiring the installation of new equipment in the gate lifting mechanisms.  The boat lift is a unique structure, so new components have to be designed, manufactured, and tested which cannot be done quickly.  We have therefore taken the difficult decision that the lift will not reopen for use this season.

We are hugely disappointed about this turn of events and are very sorry for the disruption that this will cause our customers.  We have around 40 boats directly affected by the closure and want to specifically thank them for their patience with us so far.

We have been exploring alternative passage options via the Manchester Ship Canal for our customers needing to travel to or from the Weaver Navigation and Ellesmere Port, and should be able to start these next week, which will be available for a short period.

We now ask everyone wishing to take part in assisted passage to contact the North West Support Team on 0303 0404 040, Monday to Thursday 8:30 - 17:00 and Friday 8:30 - 16:30, and we can discuss this with you in more detail.

Should customers on the Weaver Navigation require fuel, Renaissance (the regular traveling fuel boat) are offering to carry out road deliveries to boats where they are accessible whilst the lift remains closed. For more information, please contact Renaissance directly on 07791345004.

We will provide further updates on the passages and repairs as they become available.

We are extremely sorry to inform our customers that the Anderton Boat Lift will remain closed until further notice. We have attempted a temporary repair of the mechanism that failed a routine safety test on Monday; however we have concluded that we will need to keep the lift closed to undertake further detailed analysis and complete significant repairs to the gate mechanisms that allow water in and out of the caissons. 

Our North West Customer Support team are now contacting all those customers who have booked passages that are affected by the closure. We are working hard to understand how long the lift will remain closed, we will update on the repair programme as soon as we can. We are working through alternative passage options for our customers that may need to get onto or off the River Weaver Navigation. If you would like to speak with the team to discuss your booking or how this closure may affect your cruising plans, please call us on 0303 040 4040.

We are hugely disappointed about this turn of events and are very sorry for the disruption that this will cause our customers.  We’re committed to reopening the lift as soon as possible and thank you for your ongoing support.

A further update will be provided by Friday 12th August or sooner if we have anything to share with our customers

Please be advised Anderton Boat Lift remains closed following further repair attempts today. Our teams will need to continue undertaking further investigations this week.

Due to this, all passages this week will be cancelled.  Our North West Customer Support Team are now contacting all those affected. If you would like to speak with the team to discuss your booking, please call us on 0303 040 4040.

We apologise for the inconvenience this will undoubtedly cause our boating customers.

An update will be provided by Friday 29 July.

Following routine testing on the Anderton Boat Lift today, a defect has been notified meaning we cannot safely operate the Lift. We have a method of repair and will be back onsite tomorrow, Tuesday 26 July to carry out the works.

Due to this, all passages tomorrow, Tuesday 26 July will be cancelled.  Our North West Customer Support Team are now contacting all those affected. If you would like to speak with the team to discuss your booking, please call us on 0303 040 4040.

We apologise for the inconvenience this will undoubtedly cause our boating customers.

An update will be provided tomorrow afternoon.