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Winsford Bridge, River Weaver

Accessible to all craft kept on the connected inland waterways

Silver Propeller Challenge

Location

Winsford

Visit Winsford Bridge on the River Weaver by boat or canoe.

It has been chosen as a Silver Propeller Location to encourage boats to explore the start of the River Weaver Navigation.  A photo of your boat in the proximity of Winsford Bridge will be a good proof of your visit.  

Complete our challenge by visiting 20 locations from our list, you will receive our exclusive plaque and goody bag.

 

About the River Weaver

The River Weaver Navigation runs for 20 miles from the Manchester Ship Canal at Weston Marsh Lock and Weston Point Docks to Winsford Bridge and connects to the Trent and Mersey Canal via Anderton Boat Lift.

The river’s proximity to the Cheshire salt mines made it useful for salt transport, but only the lower reaches were deep enough for navigation.  As the industry expanded, coal was bought in to evaporate the brine, placing more demands on the limited transport.  In 1720, an Act of Parliament was finally obtained (after four previous attempts) for works between Frodsham and Winsford Bridge. The eleven timber locks and weirs were completed in 1732.

The opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1777 initially caused river traffic to drop but afterwards boosted trade.  In 1793, chutes were installed at Anderton to enable salt from narrow boats to be transferred into Weaver flats moored on the river below.  The world’s first vertical boat lift was opened at Anderton in 1875 to transfer boats between the river and canal.  Reconstruction works to enable larger coastal ships to use the river, between 1870 and 1900, reduced the number of locks to five.  The gates on the new locks were opened using water turbine power.  The many distinctive structures include the early electric swing bridges.

[The photo shows the restored steamship tug Daniel Adamson at Acton Bridge  –  by Pauline McGill]

Notes for Visitors

Location

Postcode: CW7 3AA

What3words /// export.unlisted.reclaimed

Boat Dimensions

The maximum size of boat that can navigate the River Weaver is:-

Length: 196′ (58.8m)
Beam: 35′ (10.67m)
Height: 29′ 6″ (8.99m)
Draught: 9′ 6″ (2.89m)

Navigation above Winsford Bridge and into Winsford Flash is possible with care, especially in small boats, but it is shallow in places and there is a significant risk of boats becoming stuck in the silt.

Canoeing, Boat Hire and Trip Boats

Canoeing is encouraged on the Caldon Canal with a Canal & River Trust licence or British Canoeing membership.

There are no trip boats or boat hire in the immediate vicinity.  The recently restored steamship The Danny offers occasional cruises on the River Weaver, but not usually as far upstream as Winsford Bridge.  Canal & River Trust’s trip boat, the Edwin Clark, also offer regular trips on the River Weaver, but also not usually to Winsford.

Also see…

Challenge Location

Winsford Bridge

River Weaver

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