Vital project to refurbish Anderton Boat Lift and visitor centre
ANDERTON Boat Lift needs urgent work to prevent it from falling into disrepair and facing possible closure.
So Canal & River Trust tell it is delivering a vital project to refurbish Anderton Boat Lift and visitor centre to ensure it remains operational for future generations.
Ageing machinery
The unique 150 years old structure was the world’s first major commercial boat lift and now requires an upgrade to enable the ageing machinery to continue transporting around 3,000 boats a year between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Weaver Navigation some 50 feet below. Without the lift, boaters would be forced to make long detours via the Manchester Ship Canal.
The lift is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is a priceless piece of our living heritage. It was brought back to life through a complete restoration over 20 years ago and constantly invest in the upkeep and maintenance of the structure, but now major refurbishment work is required.
The narrowboatworld picture was taken at the opening and the one below when it was being reconstructed in 2001.
In addition to the work required to preserve and protect the iconic structure, there is a plan to invest in the site to enhance the visitor experience and create an even better day out. The trust will celebrate Anderton through installing new indoor and outdoor event areas, adding more play areas and providing more space for education programmes and opportunities.
Survey
As part of the project, the trust tells it is keen to understand more about their current visitors and to capture the views of both visitors and communities to inform their planning. We’d be grateful if you would complete our survey which will take only around 5 to 10 minutes, and at the end you will have the option to enter a prize draw to win a £100 Love2Shop Voucher Booklet.
The first milestone was achieved in December 2022, when the trust was awarded a £574,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the development phase. Also, we are seeking further grant funding and support from local businesses and philanthropists, which will be vital in enabling us to deliver the project, explaining:
Work is well underway to undertake detailed design of the lift works and visitor centre improvements. The trust will be engaging a wide range of boating, tourism and other stakeholders to discuss and shape of the plans. Once complete the application for Stage two funding to support project delivery will be submitted in the spring of 2025.
The lift and grounds will be open for the 2025 summer season, which will include celebrations around the 150th anniversary of Anderton Boat Lift in July. The closure period will be from autumn 2025 and is likely to be 12 to 18 months.