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Report - - Ship Canal Walk (Cheshire, Aug, 2018) | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Ship Canal Walk (Cheshire, Aug, 2018)

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urbanchemist

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Crossing the Runcorn bridge by train I used to wonder if it was possible to walk along the seawall which separates the Manchester Ship Canal from the Mersey, ending up in the Wirral. That is, from X (Wigg island) to Y (Queen Elizabeth dock).

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I couldn’t see why not from google maps, and there also appeared to be a few small abandoned buildings to explore on Stanlow Island, about half way along. This island, part of which is still in use for berthing tankers, was also the site of a twelfth century Cistercian abbey, although only a couple of walls and tunnels remain https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/secret-island-mersey-abbey-ruins-15089100. So I set off one grey morning equipped with a borrowed camera and a couple of sandwiches and bottles of water.

The Silver Jubilee bridge, still being renovated, with the rail bridge behind.

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One of two locks which used to let small craft in and out of the canal as its curves around Runcorn.

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A little church, now isolated between two canals https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/christ-church-weston-point-runcorn-sept-2017.109854/.

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The second lock.

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Weston point power station, looking a bit derelict in parts https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/weston-point-power-station-runcorn-may-2011.60571/

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The Weaver sluice which lets water out of both the canal and River Weaver into the Mersey.

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Along a stretch of low lying pasture with sheep, dead sheep, rabbits, foxes and birds.

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Crossing where the river Gowy siphons under the canal we come to one of the little buildings on Stanlow Island - some sort of observation post/office. However it looked stripped so I didn’t bother climbing in.

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Nearby, a shed and a tank with rooms underneath, both empty.

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Another little shed, with not much inside - pictures taken through the windows.

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The largest building was probably built in the 40s - its shown on the 1948-49 OS map. The sign on the door suggests it was for general harbour duties.

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The ground floor rooms are not all connected internally and two were not accessible - pictures of these through windows.

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The rest of the ground floor was residential and the upstairs of the main block appeared to be more offices, although the large room had an educational feel. The latest date I saw was 1982.

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urbanchemist

28DL Regular User
Regular User
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It was now getting dark, so I headed on past the National Waterways Museum..

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..past a little workshop https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/ellesmere-port-workshop-cheshire-sept-2017.110191/ and a bit further on a derelict factory https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/manisty-wharf-factory-cheshire-sept-2017.110194/

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..and on out past Mount Manisty.

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This final stage was always going to be tricky since there is a fair amount of security around the Queen Elizabeth Dock. In the event my mind was made up for me as an oil tanker thrummed past and soon there was far to much activity down there to get out undetected. The undetected bit is important as you are likely to get into trouble trespassing on refinery territory, as some people apparently found out with the Burmah-Castrol site not far away https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/burmah-castrol-office-block-cheshire-sept-2017.110213/.

Luckily the long walk back went fairly quickly as the weather was good and I could use the easy open routes without being seen except by sheep (rows of electric green eyes) and something that was probably a fox (orange eyes). I did try and take a few pictures of pretty glowing factories etc., but hand-held on auto in the dark really doesn’t work as this picture of a passing boat shows.

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HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Always love your reports and this one is no different. Actually it is a bit different as it's a bit of a journey and I like that. It works really well.
 

host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Another outstanding report mate a lot of time and effort goes into these reports Ann’s you can really see that. Job well done as ever.
 

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