A cruise on the Manchester Ship Canal… Merseytravel, using one of the famous Mersey ferries, runs regular day cruises along the MSC complete with a live commentary. This 35 mile trip has been on my ‘to-do’ list for some time now so as a birthday present, I went! Starting at Salford Quay in poor weather, the trip took around 6 hours, which sounds a long time but is just right in terms of seeing the canal, which is still a commercial waterway, to the full.

Below: Looking back as we leave Salford Quays…

Below: There are numerous swing bridges along the route, a team of MSC staff moving ahead of the ferry to operate each one as the boat approaches.

Below: There are also a number of vast locks in order to descend some 60 feet over the length of the canal towards the final lock at Eastham, where the tide height varies the fall required into the tidal Mersey.

Below: The Runcorn Bridge, where the canal runs in a channel (right) with the higher reaches of the Mersey estuary to the left.

Below: The boatyard at Runcorn. Dominating the scene is the 250 ton steam powered crane used (apparently still) by the MSC Company for lifting lock gates. It must be almost unique in still being steam powered and still in commercial operation (more info would be gratefully added to this blog if anyone knows anything else about this crane?).

Below: A line up of redundant lock gates, all made from greenheart, which as we know from its use at Beamish is a superb and near indestructible timber of great strength and rot resistance.

Below: The live commentary is given by a Blue-badge guide.

Below: Coal traffic at the lower end of the canal, destined for Fiddlers Ferry power station and arrived via coaster from a stockpile on the Clyde.

Below: Liverpool waterfront, from Woodside Ferry terminal. This really is a good trip and I commend it to anyone with an interest in all things industrial and transport…