ELLESMERE PORT

Leaving Chester an 8 mile lock free cruise brings us to Ellesmere Port that links to the Manchester Ship Canal although access has to be arranged with both BW and the Ship Canal for access onto the MSC.
The canal arrived here in the 1790`s and major growth came to Ellesmere Port with the opening of the M Ship Canal in 1894.
Today this jct. is the home of the boat museum that has the largest collection of floating canal craft. A lot of the original buildings are preserved and house a very intersting collection of canal memrabelia. ( you know the word)



View from the top lock looking down to the lower basin. These locks are within the museum complex and visiting boats can go down to the lower basin and take advantage of 7 days free mooring and un-limited access to the museum for one admission fee - £6.50. Truly a bargain as you are locked in at night with your own access gate using your BW key.

Telfords Arched warehouse spanning the lower basin. This is a picture i took of a photo in the museum as sadly it was burnt down by hooligans if i remember rightly in the 70`s. All that remains are the 2 supporting strips that now serve as moorings for visitors and some larger boats on display.
The warehouse to the left has now gone and a Holiday Inn hotel now replaces it.

Porter Row was built in 1833 for employees of the Ellesmere & Chester Canal Co. One was still lived in upto 1979. Each has been furnished to represent periods of 1840-1900, 1930`s, 1950`s.
The lean to at the rear was added in the early 1900`s to house the Ports fire engine.

This barge is made not of wood or steele but concrete. During WW2 many of these were made not by boat builders but but building company`s. They are pre-cast concrete panels bolted and cemented together to form the hull. Houses were also constructed using the same system and many hundreds still exist in Ellesmere Port today.
The arm within the museum that this barge is displayed is called the Victoria Arm. In the days of woking boats it was known as the sleepy arm because it was a quiet part of the port and expectant mums could moor here and await the birth of their babies.

Some of the many wooden boats afloat in the upper basin hopefully to be restored as money becomes available.