River Weaver

The River Weaver Navigation was originally developed to transport salt from the Cheshire mines to the port of Liverpool. Its history spans nearly 300 years, evolving from a modest tidal river into a major industrial artery, followed by decline and now modest use for recreation.

Although the River Weaver had been used for centuries to move salt via packhorses and small tidal barges, it was too shallow and winding for larger vessels. In 1721, the River Weaver Navigation Act was passed, authorising the first major improvements to make the river navigable from the Mersey estuary as far as Winsford.  The work was completed in 1732 at a cost of £15,885, involving the construction of eleven timber locks, weirs, and cuts to manage the 50-foot descent to the Mersey over 20 miles.  The original vessels used on the Navigation were known as Weaver Flats, and were either sailed or bow-hauled by men.  The 1732 Act included an unusual clause requiring profits to be used for maintaining Cheshire’s roads and bridges.

The navigation’s fortunes soared with the Cheshire salt trade. The arrival of the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1777 initially threatened river trade, but the two systems quickly became complementary.  By 1793, chutes were built at Anderton to transfer salt directly from canal narrowboats into river barges below, bypassing the need for unloading.  This boosted traffic, with over 171,000 tons of salt moving annually by 1790.

[The photo shows Saltisford Locks, taken in 1939] 

As road and rail transport grew, and the salt industry shifted to pipeline brine pumping, commercial traffic on the Weaver declined sharply after the 1950s. The last major shipbuilding yard, W J Yarwood in Northwich, closed in 1965, having built over 1,000 vessels.  IWA held its National Rally of 1979 at Northwich on the Navigation to campaign for the river, but he Anderton Lift, plagued by corrosion from chemical contamination, was closed four years later in 1983.  During this period, the Navigation’s focus had shifted toward recreation. Efforts began, after much campaigning by IWA and the Trent and Mersey Canal Society, to preserve the historic infrastructure, including the swing bridges and locks, many of which are now Grade II listed.

A major restoration project, led by Anderton Boat Lift Trust with IWA support, and managed by British Waterways, reopened Anderton Boat Lift in 2002, replacing the corroded hydraulic system with a modern electric counterbalance design while preserving its historic character.  However, challenges remain. Anderton Boat Lift was closed in January 2025 due to technical issues, sparking campaigns by IWA to secure its reopening and restore full connectivity between the river and canal networks.  The swing bridges have suffered numerous faults, often leaving them out of action for many months and so limiting traffic on the river to those boats with low enough headroom to pass underneath them.  Concerns also persist about the long-term maintenance of infrastructure and the need for dredging to support both commercial and recreational use.

[The photo shows a scene from IWA’s 1979 National Rally at Northwich – by L Pearce]