Anderton Boat Lift: Engineering the Future project

About Engineering The Future

The Lift is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is a priceless piece of our living heritage. The unique 150-year-old structure was the world’s first major commercial boat lift and transports around 3,000 boats a year between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Weaver Navigation some 50 feet below. Without the Lift, boaters would be forced to make long detours.

Following a period of disrepair, the Lift was brought back to life through a complete restoration over 20 years ago and although we constantly invest in the upkeep and maintenance of the structure, now major work to upgrade its systems is a priority. A fault with the structure's caisson gates was discovered during routine maintenance last year, so a programme of works is currently being delivered which will see the Lift back open and operational in summer 2027.

Engineering The Future is an aspirational project to revitalise Anderton Boat Lift and Visitor Centre and transform the site into a nationally respected heritage destination and has been developed to secure Anderton's long-term future. Engineering works will include blast cleaning and recoating the Lift with a weatherproof system to protect the structure from corrosion and our challenging climate. A brand-new operating system will strengthen reliability, and additional repairs will improve efficiency to make ongoing maintenance easier and more cost effective. All this will contribute to the long-term conservation of the Lift and strengthen its resilience.

In addition to the refurbishment work to preserve and protect the iconic Lift, Engineering The Future has plans to invest in the site itself and reimagine Anderton with a new energy. The project will rejuvenate the Visitor Centre and grounds with first-class facilities to deliver a vibrant visitor experience and create an even better day out. We will celebrate Anderton through installing new event spaces, adding more play areas with new fun outdoor equipment and providing more opportunities for activities, skills and education programmes. Refreshed displays and interactive interpretation will bring the history of the site to life, inviting visitors to imagine what it would have been like at the peak of its industrial past.

Project plans

The first milestone for Engineering The Future was reached in December 2022, when the Trust was awarded a £574,000 grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund to support this development phase. The grant was allocated to initial project outliers such as investigations, surveys, trials and civil designs on the Lift as well as architectural plans and design works for the Visitor Centre, audience mapping and consultation.

During this process a wide range of boating, tourism and other stakeholders have been consulted to discuss and shape our plans. Work is well underway with engineering works, also in producing detailed designs for the Visitor Centre and grounds. By elevating the visitor experience at Anderton we will create a new and distinctive sense of place to build powerful and sustained connections with our visitors. Through its status as a prime tourist destination, more people and new audiences will be attracted to the area, driving growth while promoting culture and heritage. Increased visitor numbers, dwell time and revenue will lead to a commercially viable operation at Anderton, so supporting long-term sustainability.

However, the next stage of the project requires a much larger investment, particularly in the Lift works, that would require considerable and unaffordable capital spend from the Trust. Therefore a difficult decision has been made to pause the project for the present time. We hope to move the project forward in the future and will be submitting a bid for funding at the national level to National Lottery Heritage Fund then.

Thanks to National Lottery players