Welcome To Sankey Valley Park - Winwick Quay - Winwick, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The canal was the first canal to be built in the industrial revolution but due to competition from both rail and road it closed in 1963. Some parts of the canal were filled in but some parts are still in water. However the Sankey Canal Restoration Society is hoping to restore the canal.

A number of linear parks and heritage trails have been developed along the length of the canal including this Sankey Valley Park. Sites of historical interest have been highlighted along these routes.

Welcome to Sankey Valley Park - Winwick Quay

Steeped in history, the 15 mile Sankey Valley Park follows the course of England's oldest canal. The Warrington section combines the old and the new with rivers, ponds, woodlands and meadows all forming a superb backdrop to a variety of recreational and historic features.

The area where you are now was once a hive of canal activity. If you can, imagine the canal full of water, people living and working here, the horses pulling boats and all the sounds and smells of a busy repair yard - voices, hammering, wood cutting, metal working, coal burning and steaming timbers. Although the canal is now in-filled, the workshop and dry dock complex still remain.

Winwick Lock
This lock lowered the canal by about two metres. It has the best preserved by-wash channel left at any lock on the canal, and much of the stonework of the lock chamber survives in good condition. The lock keepers cottage, which was located on the west bank, was last occupied by the Hedgewick family and was vacated just before World War 2 during which it was destroyed by German bombers.

Winwick Maintenance Yard This complex was vital for the efficient operation of the canal and much of the elaborately constructed buildings remain. The main building, built in 1841, was a large wood and metal workshop. Timber bridges, gates, decking and fencing were all made and repaired here. The important forge produced countless items of ironwork needed to keep the canal and its vessels functional. The yard was a resting and feeding point for horses and mules hauling their boats to St Helens so fodder was also stored here.

A crane lifted boats into the building from the canal so they could be worked on under cover. A massive timber beam was used to lift and move boats around inside and was supported on the huge roof trusses.

The yard had its own narrow gauge railway which was used to move coal from the canal boats to a storage area beside the railway sidings, until it was needed by the locomotives.

Quay Fold cottages to the north provided a variety of general services. One is reputed to have been a public house known as the Ship Inn, whilst another had a room for public prayers.

Winwick Dry Dock
This important feature is the only remaining dry dock on the Sankey Canal. It was built entirely of sandstone with stepped sides and curved ends. Notice the steps allowing workers to get down to the floor and the sleepers for the traditional Mersey Flat boats to rest on. The one metre 'threshold depth' from the canal allowed the Mersey Flats access for repair. Once the boat was inside, the dock gates were closed and the water drained off via a small culvert in the western wall. This simple but highly efficient system used no machinery, just the lie of the land. Once renar work had taken place the dock was filled and the boat floated out.

Hulme Lock
This lock and cottage were completely hidden by in-fill following the demolition of the cottage in the late 1970's. Excavation and restoration by SCARS volunteers and WBC have revealed both the floor plan of the building and the structure of the lock and the by-wash channel. A variety of building materials including brick, slate, ceramic tiles and massive timber uprights in the lock wall have been used. The cottage was originally of two rooms at lock level with cellars below but was later extended to include a further room at each level.

Dallam Sluices
All the way from St Helens, the Sankey Brook flowed at a lower level than the canal, making it a convenient overflow at times of heavy rain. Just south of Hulme Lock, Sankey Brook flowed into the canal then excess water drained through the sluices into the brook's original course. The remains of the sluice gates and the stone lined channel can still be seen. From here on, the brook was at a higher level than the canal, causing widespread flooding to the Dallam area on a regular basis. To eliminate this problem the brook was diverted into the canal's deepened channel at the lower level.

Today the local authorities of Warrington, St Helens and Halton, together with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS), are developing the Sankey Canal Trail as a 15 mile greenway for walkers and cyclists, whilst working towards the restoration of navigation.

This sign was produced by Warrington Borough Council Ranger Service in conjunction with SCARS and was funded by the Environment Agency. If you want to know more about the Sankey Canal, its history or plans for the futuere please contact the Rangers at ( Sankey Valley Park. Tel : 01925 571836. )

Type of Historic Marker: stand alone metal board Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Warrington Borough Council Ranger Service Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed Related Website: Not listed

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