Toll houses restored
THE two old toll houses by the base of Anderton Boat Lift have been restored and refurbished so that visitors can experience what it was like to book a passage on the lift in its working days.
The £90,000 restoration project has been carried out by the Canal & River Trust, jointly funded by public donations to the Trust and the Saltscape Partnership, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
As they were
The Trust plans to furnish the two small buildings as they would have appeared early last century and staff are appealing for the public's help to send in old photos of the toll house and boat lift, and any memories or stories about the lift.
The public will be offered a first sight of the newly-restored buildings on Heritage Open Day, Saturday 12th September, when they can enjoy free entry to Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre and other heritage buildings across the country.
Important buildings
Nicola Lewis-Smith, Enterprise Manager with the Canal & River Trust, explained:
"The toll houses were important buildings at the boat lift. Boat owners would be welcomed by the clerk who would weigh the boat's cargo and collect an appropriate toll before allowing the boat onto the lift. This is the scenario we want to create for visitors as part of the Anderton Boat Lift experience.
"The toll house renovation project involved using traditional materials such as lime mortar for the brick repairs, and the installation of new floors and drainage. The toll houses were in a poor condition and weren't fully restored in the major boat lift restoration of 2002, so it's fantastic to see them brought back to life now."
Anyone with old photos or stories to share should get in touch with the Trust via email on