The Doris T passing us on canal.
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Canalside staircases like these were spaced along the landside of the canal for access to vessel berthing points to load or unload cargo for the industry at that point on the canal. Sandstone was a large feature of the Wirral along here.
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I don't think there was anyone who wasn't amazed by the next sight. I'd always thought that the canal had land on one side and just a wall separating the canal from the Mersey on the other side but there is actually land on the river side of the canal at this point. The Mersey here is at its widest, that's Hale lighthouse across the way. The farmer has to bring his sheep over on a boat to graze and to shear them. They are free from predators so thrive well.
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These cattle though were on the land side of the canal. Too much bloody messing getting them across
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Next up is the industry at Runcorn that lay up ahead. We will see a usually unseen feature as well as the bridge at close quarters.
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---------- Post added at 04:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:37 PM ----------
Right, i'm back. I keep getting called out, go here, go there, take us here, take us there.
The former ICI works at Runcorn.
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The Weaver Sluice upstream jetty water level controller.
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Old dock and lock gate cemetery. They must have made them well in the old days to hold back and seal off all that water.
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Rarely seen until these trips unless of course your worked the canal. The now disused dockers church, surrounded by water on 3 sides.
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Our shipmates photographing the Runcorn Bridge up ahead. Some of these must have taken 500 shots. Anything that moved including birds flying over and even when Tony farted, one trained his camera towards his bum.
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The Runcorn bridge coming up.
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The steel girder rail bridge built on ornate stone pillars with turrets and the suspended road bridge alongside it.
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The Runcorn bridge was opened in 1961 to replace the outdated transporter bridge. It's arched span is more than 1000ft and when it was widened in 1977, it was renamed the Silver Jubilee bridge which is now its official title. It is grade II listed.
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Looking over towards Spike Island (how appropriate) where the Catalyst Museum is. If you zoom in, at the bottom of the steep road which runs to the black and white building, you can still see where the old Transporter bridge ran from and its stone ticket office. Built in 1905, it was the very first transporter bridge and ceased to run in 1961 when the new road bridge opened.
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