Chester & Merseyside Branch Spring 2026
Chairman’s Report – Spring 2026 Packet Boat
The clocks have just “sprung” forward and the days are getting longer so, hopefully, it’s time to get out & about on ourlocalwaterwaysandenjoysomespringsunshine.
The social evenings at the Holiday Inn Ellesmere Port have now finished for the season and we have enjoyed an excellent variety of speakers and topics over the last six months. Our final meeting was held in March which was also combinedwiththeBranchAGM.
Unfortunately, attendance at this meeting was poor, with only 12 people present. No volunteers came forward to join the committee which is now down to 6 active members which puts the whole branch in jeopardy for the future. Please, if you have a couple of hours free per month get in touch with me or any other committee member, contact details of which are on the back page of the Packet Boat the branch.
This yearseesthe80thAnniversaryofthe IWA andtherewas to be a celebration/campaign rally being held at Agden, near Lymm, which was postponed from last year due to lack of rainfall andwaterwaysbeing closed. Unfortunately this event has now been cancelled because of land access issues with thelocallandowner.
However,tocompensateforthislosteventwearehostingan 80th Anniversary cruise on the Daniel Adamson on the River Weaver with a trip from the (closed) Anderton Boat Lift to Acton Bridge and back on the 12th June. More details of the tripareshownlaterinthiseditionofPacketBoat.
I look forward to possibly meeting some of you around the waterwaysinthecomingmonths.
Best Wishes, Jim Forkin Branch Chairman
It should be noted that the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the IWA. They are published as being of interest to our members and readers. The IWA is a registered charity No 212342
The course of the Mersey & Irwell navigation on the Mersey at Warrington was the venue for the “Heads of the River” event in March, showing new uses for heritage waterways.
The deepest lock in Europe – on the River Douro in Portugal
A report byIWA Member Jeanne Smith
We hada short flight toPorto where the river entersthe sea, and arrived mid-afternoon at the ship, which was all prepared and ready for sailing next morning. All aboard; and we cast off ready to experience the joys of Portugal and cruising 130 miles up the river to the Spanish border and back. The first Morning it was lovely cruising under all the Bridges spanning the river, most of them very high as the riverpassesthroughaneverdeepeningvalley.
We set off a bit late, due to fog, and cruised 14 miles up the wide river to the first of five dams with locks and a rise of 45 feet. The second was Carrapatelo lock another 20 miles upstream and this is the deepest in Europe with a rise of 115ft. Most of us stayed at the front of the boat to watch us slowly rising. All locks all have guillotine gates and when going up the top ones lower to let the boat out. A further 16 miles brought us to Regua where we re-fuelled the boat beforemooringatthetownQuayovernight.
A coach to Mateus Palace a 16th-century Baroque Manor, most famousforitsMateusRosewine. Theriver throughthe wine region is designated a World Heritage Site. Then 12 miles to Pinhao Quay where we disembarked for an excursion to visit Favaios village, and the Bread Museum, followed by a visit to the Avessada estate for their wine
production tour. This was followed by dinner and musical entertainmentbeforewereturnedtotheboatforthenight.
Next morning 13 miles to the lowest bridge on the River. There is only just enough headroom for the boat to get underneath this involves folding all the railings down, removing everything else on the top deck and lowering the Captains bridge. Once safely under, another 12 miles to BarcaD’AlvaontheSpanishborder,andasfaraswecouldgo as there are no locks on the Spanish side of the river. Next excursion was, to the walled village of Castelo Rodrigo, whichisquitehighupandverycold.
Next day we were coached to the Spanish City of Salamanca, had some free time to look round the city before we had lunch at the Alamenda Palace followed by a flamenco show , then it was back to the boat for the return trip down the River. and going down we went under the bottom gates to give us all a shower. Once back in Porto, we were taken on a tourofOldPortocityandlunchbeforebackto theairport for ourflightbacktoGatwick.
IWA 80th Anniversary Cruise aboard The Danny – 12th June - Invite
We’re delighted to extend a personal invitation to a very special occasion marking the Inland Waterways Association’s 80th Anniversary. We will be celebrating aboard the iconic steamship S.S. Daniel Adamson (The Danny) on 12th June, 3.30pm–7.00pm, withinformalrefreshmentsbeforehand.
This cruise -from Anderton Lift to Acton Bridge and back - offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate IWA’s achievements, and highlightthesignificanceoftheRiverWeaver.
Wewouldbehonouredtohavebranchchairsandofficersjoinusas special invitees. Your presence will make the celebration more meaningful, and we would be grateful for your support in promoting the event locally. If there are colleagues, members, or other contacts who have contributed to IWA’s success over the years and whom we may have overlooked, please do share their detailswithussowecanensurenooneismissed.
Pleasenotethatthereis aticketcostfor thecruise. Fulldetails and bookinginformationcanbefoundhere:
IWA 80th Anniversary Cruise on 'The Danny' - The Inland WaterwaysAssociation
(Please note that a password may be required to view the page: Danny.) Do get in touch with any questions. We very much look forward to celebrating this landmark event with you on 12th June andtoworkingtogethertomakeittrulymemorable.
Withwarmregards,
VerenaLeonardini,EventsandProjectsco-ordinator
Tel: 01494783453Ext.607
website: www.waterways.org.uk
Ships Bell from 1906 Built
“Shroppie tug”
in Warrington Museum
Rare display of materials from First Days of the Ship Canal
Warrington Museum staff have teamed up with volunteers from the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society (DAPS), to put on show to the public some of the many artefacts and photographs donated to the society including the ships bell from the long scrapped Shropshire Railway and Canal Company`s tug the “W E Dorrington” illustrating the bygone yearsoftheManchesterShipCanal.
The “ W E Dorrington” built in 1906 was one of three tug tenders built by the canal company to develop revenue as trade on the Ellesmere Port to Liverpool transhipment trade increased dramatically on the years after the opening of the ManchesterShipCanal
DAPS was formed to save and protect her sister ship the 1903 built steam ship ”Daniel Adamson” (the “Danny”) in 2004 whenit was savedfrom the scrapman in2004and now after a £5 million pound plus restoration she is back in public serviceontheshipcanalandRiverWeaver.
Many of the photographs and documents in the collection came sadly in the form of a bequest from a former DAPS member who was an avid collector of all things associated
with the canal and its tugs as well memories from his career inthemerchantnavy.
When the bequest was received, a team of DAPS volunteers spent many hours sorting and cataloguing his incredible personal collection. In addition other items donated to the society included the fog horn from Latchford Locks from the very beginning of the canal. It was used to guide ships into the locks during the dense industrial “smogs” of the late C19thandC20th.
Opened on 28th November till 29th February 2026 in the first floor extension of the Exhibition Hall at the Museum Street Premises in the town centre. DAPS was asked initially to fill two display cases but the volunteers presented so much material that it fill a 3rd display case in the attached library entrance and the walls of the full exhibition hall extension. Thereisaliftifrequired.
Other star items on showwill include a ships bell dating from 1906, and a magnificent model of the “Danny”. There are also photographic albums from the first years of the canal and post cards reflecting the golden years of the canal in living memory. There is a strong sense of “Nostalgia” with a numberofshipspottingbooksfrom1960/70ondisplay
Some personal photographs reflect the days when young men from our area went to sea with the merchant marine in searchofadventure.
Colin Leonard, DAPS volunteer and former Ship Canal employee said “The DAPS volunteers have made best use of all donationswithbook sales,materialsforpresentations and now the most historical artefacts have been made available forthepublictoenjoy”
Craig Sherwood, Curator at Warrington Museum said “It is a privilege to see these items some of which have been in private hands and have never been on public display. It will bring back memories to the older generation in Warrington andasharedinterestinthepastwithyoungpeople”.
ThefulldisplayhasnowmovedtoOswestryMuseum.
For more details on the “Danny” please go to the Daniel AdamsonPreservationSocietyatwww.thedanny.co.uk
History Repeats Itself on Sankey Canal
Inapositivedevelopment,theSankeyCanalRestoration Society (SCRS) has been invited to comment on local waterway course planning, some 269 years after the LiverpoolDockEngineer,HenryBerry,usedhisintimate knowledge of local watercourses to identify a reliable watersupplyand toconstruct acanalalongtheSankey Valley.The canal hasthe potential once again toplaya floodmanagementroleattwolocations.
The first is in the Blackbrook area of St Helens, supported by Blackbrook Flooding Action Group and St Helens Borough Council with funding from the EnvironmentAgency.
Inaddition,thereisalsoaWarringtoninitiativeaimedat alleviating flooding in the Bewsey, Dallam and Sankey Bridges areas of the town. This is being led by the Environment Agency and interested stakeholders include local MPs Sarah Hall and Charlotte Nichols and Deputy Council Leader Jean Flaherty. SCRS believes there is the potential for the canal to be part of the solution to reduce local flooding and also provide a cheap,sustainablewatersupplydownstreamtoFiddlers FerryMarinaandtoSpikeIslandMarinainWidnes.
SCRS has been working hard to raise its profile across the three boroughs traversed by the canal. It holds twice monthly Task Team events along the canal,
inviting volunteers to come along to help keep down the vegetation on the canal line, improve access along the towpath, improve watercourses and reveal the structures that are still in situ. Volunteer participation has notably increased and the flooding initiatives outlined above have seen Blackbrook and Sankey Bridgesresidentsbeingmoreactive,helpingtokeepthe areas clear of rubbish and vegetation that has affected thefreeflowofwater.
SCRShasthisyearadoptedEarlestownStationaspartof Northern’s community involvement scheme. This is an historic location, being the first passenger railway junction in 1833, the oldest station in continuous use and one of only two remaining triangular junction stations in the UK. The pioneering 1757 Sankey Canal and 1830 Liverpool to Manchester Railway is the ideal backdrop for SCRS’ involvement in the upcoming 200th anniversaryoftherailway,
beginning with the 2029 Rainhill Locomotive Trials celebration. Earlestown Station is to the east of the Sankey Viaduct (known locally as the Nine Arches) whichwastheWorld`sfirstmajorrailwayviaduct.Itwas constructedbyGeorgeStephensonandis21m/70feet highattheinsistenceofthecanalcompanytoclearthe masts of the Mersey Flats (sailing barges) using the canal.
StHelensBoroughCouncilhasrecentlyallowedSCRSto make use of the closed Sankey Valley Visitor Centre at Blackbrook. SCRS is currently refurbishing it for occasional meeting use by the society, the Council and othercommunitygroupsthissummer.Wwwillestablish a display of some of the more significant canal archive materials.
SCRS is continuing to modernise and revitalise the society, for example by developing a new website and taking on the digitalisation of its archive pictures and materials. It is also working closely with St Helens Borough Council to support some exciting projects. These include a bid for Green Flag park status for the popular Sankey Valley Trail throughNewton LeWillows and the replacement of a life expired pedestrian footbridge downstream of Old Double Lock at Parr to create a circular accessible trail along the canal towpath. SCRS is also working with Groundwork on a fundingbidtorevealthehistoric1760BroadOakCanal Basin at Parr and it has already secured some funding from the likes of United Utilities, Northern Rail, St.Helens Council, Widnes Rotary, Groundwork Trust and Newton-le-Willows High Street Hive for new tools, equipmentandskillstrainingcoursesforitsvolunteers.
Another significant task has been to make an application to the Charity Commission to convert the society into a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)andadecisionisexpectedinmid-2026.
Elsewhere,SCRShasbeenworkingwithHaltonBorough Council, for example by inputting to a strategy to improve Spike Island at Widnes and with Warrington Borough Council, to make some improvements to the Old Alder Lane area of the infilled canal near Winwick Lock.
SCRS Chair, Barrie Pennington is very optimistic about the future of the canal: ‘We have come a long way in our aim to revitalise the fortunes of England’s first industrialcanal.Decadesofneglecthavebeenreversed and there is now public and local government appreciationoftheeconomicandsocialvalueofour heritage assets. Working with the local authorities on low-cost, high yield projects has inspired communities to recognise the history on their doorstep. Our education campaigns have alerted school children to the benefits of preserving and appreciating the past. Our aim is to achieve World Heritage status for the canal and Stephenson’s Nine Arches railway viaduct as the first canal in England and the first major railway viaductintheworld.OnlyinoneplaceonEarthdidone form of transport so visibly and poignantly displace another.’
JimForkin (IWAChairman,Chesterand Merseyside)“In
theUK,publicbodiesarenowwakinguptothefactthat canals are not just nice to have “blue and green corridors” but they have so many other beneficial
economic,environmentalandsocialwellbeinguses.The Sankey Canal has the potential to be better utilised to reduce the flooding risk to properties. Nearby the Manchester Ship Canal is used to generate hydroelectric power and there is the ambitious River Mersey Tidal Barrage proposal to use tidal water to generate electricity. Elsewhere, there are some bulk water transfer schemes being considered by UK utility companieswithC&RTandothercanalsocieties.Despite the waterways’ funding challenges there are many benefittotheBritisheconomy”
Volunteers preparing for the 200th Celebration of the LiverpooltoManchesterrailway.
The nine arches viaduct near Newton-Le-Willows. The first railway viaduct in the world crossing the Sankey canal, the firstcanaloftheIndustrialRevolutionintheUK.
OFFICERSAND COMMITTEE
President. Ron Evans
Branch Chairman Jim Forkin jim.forkin@waterways.org.uk
M. 07803928929
Branch Secretary Jim Forkin jim.forkin@waterways.org.uk
M. 07803928929
Branch Treasurer Jim Mole jim.mole@waterways.org.uk
M.07580162355
Social Secretary Jim Mole jim.mole@waterways.org.uk
M.07580162355
Publicity Officer
Les Green lesliejgreen@hotmail.co.uk
M.078280545924
Editor Packet Boat Les Green lesleyjgreen@hotmail.co.uk M.078280545924
Planning & Navigation Officer Geoff Gittus geoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk M. 07808859751
Membership Jeanne Smith jeanne.k.smith32@gmail.com
Secretary M. 07746955931
Scars LiaisonBarrie Pennington barrie.pennington@gmail.com M.
Committee Members Ann Farrell + Vacancies
