Aqueducts of the Inland Waterways: Anderton Boat Lift Aqueduct

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Anderton Boat Lift Aqueduct

Anderton Boat Lift Aqueduct

Trent and Mersey

21.4.10

I hadnt really thought about the Anderton Boat Lift having an aqueduct till the lift keeper instructed me to move onto it. But when I later viewed it from the side it is indeed an aqueduct, and an impressive one at that.

The boat lift lowers craft 50 feet from the Trent and Mersey to the Weaver Navigation and an approach chute is needed to get boats into the cassions. Both ends are protected by guilloting gates to prevent water loss.

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What this site is about:

Most elements of the UK's inland waterways are best appreciated from the water, either in a boat or from the towpath. However, the same can't be said of the many aqueducts without which the inland waterways system couldn't exist.

There is always something amazing about seeing a boat floating across the skyline. This was true when Brindley built the first aqueduct over the Irwell at Barton, and the thousands of tourists that flock to Pontcysyllte each year will probably say the same today.

From a boaters perspective, these impressive structures often appear as little more than an extended narrows, perhaps with a fleeting glimpse along river, road, railway or canal down below.

To see these structures in all their glory you have to leave the safety of your boat and scramble down to some pretty weird vantage points. This site provides a new perspective on these impressive memorials to the work of the canal builders over 200 years ago.

The site is being populated on an ad hoc basis, so don't expect to find an A-Z gazeteer anytime soon!

I can't claim credit for all the photos. Google Images has provided a rich seam of quality material and, where possible, I have credited the originator.

My apologies if I have got any wrong!