Completion of the River Weaver Navigation in 1734 provided a navigable route for transporting salt from Winsford, through Northwich, to Frodsham, where the Weaver joins the River Mersey.
The opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1777 provided a second route close to the Weaver Navigation for part of its length, but extended further south to the coal mining and pottery industries around Stoke-on-Trent.
Rather than competing with each other, the owners of the two waterways decided it would be more profitable to work together. In 1793 a basin was excavated on the north bank of the Weaver at Anderton that took the river to the foot of the escarpment of the canal, 50 ft (15.2 m) above. The Anderton Basin was owned and operated by the Weaver Navigation Trustees. Facilities were built to trans-ship goods between the waterways, including two cranes, two salt chutes and an inclined plane that was possibly inspired by the much larger Hay Inclined Plane at Coalport. The facilities were extended when a second quay was built in 1801 and a second entrance to the basin was constructed in 1831.
By 1870 the Anderton Basin was a major interchange for trans-shipping goods in both directions, with extensive warehousing, three double inclined planes and four salt chutes. Trans-shipment was time-consuming and expensive, and the Trustees of the Weaver Navigation decided a link between the waterways was needed to allow boats to pass directly from one to the other.
Chief Engineer, Edward Leader Williams, drew up plans for a boat lift. He settled on a design involving a pair of water-filled caissons that would counterbalance one another and require relatively little power to lift boats up and down."
The success of this junction of two waterways led to the development of large chemical factories and salt works all of which required improved road communication.
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Swing bridge and control cabin on Weaver Navigation, 1908/9 with C20 additions, cast steel. Two storey brick control cabin with ground floor and lower ground floor, slate roof.
Cast steel bridge painted black and white with girders underneath, one pivot span and single lane vehicle access. Pivot sits on south (Northwich) bank. Later C20 pedestrian walkway fixed to western bridge elevation and north cabin elevation. Reverse 'l' shaped plan brick control cabin sits west of bridge on south bank. Assymetrical saltbox-style slate roof, ridge tiles, and spear finial atop north gable. Small pane casement windows form continuous band to north elevation continuing around north east and north west corners. Small round arched window with brick voussoirs beneath eaves line on west elevation. South elevation has small round arched window flanked by 2 doorways all with brick voussoirs at heads. Small brick courtyard adjacent to south elevation. East doorway with stone steps, west doorway with one stone step and one later C20 concrete replacement. Steps lead down by west elevation to pivot machinery and canal, all but top 3 later C20 replacement.
HISTORY: Constructed in 1908/9 the electrically operated swing bridge replaces an earlier version constructed in 1901, which proved inadequate both in terms of carrying capacity and design. Along with the neighbouring Town Bridge (1899) and Hayhurst Bridge (1899) in Northwich, Winnington is one of the earliest swing bridges in Britain to have electric power. The bridge enabled greater carrying capacity of road loads and an increase in the navigable waterway available thus enabling trade expansion and business growth in the area's chemical industry. The swing bridge also controlled the water level at Northwich.
SOURCES: Hadfield C & Biddle G. 'The Canals of North West England Volume 1'. 1970 Hadfield C & Biddle G. 'The Canals of North West England Volume 2'. 1970 David Owens Waterway Archive - 'Winnington Swing Bridge'
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE Winnington Turn Bridge is a single pivot span steel bridge with associated brick control cabin on the Weaver Navigation. The bridge has special architectural interest as an example of an early electrically operated swing bridge. In addition, it is historically significant in the development of the Weaver Navigation and the growth of the pottery and chemical industries of Winnington and Northwich. The bridge and cabin can also be said to form part of a group with Town Bridge and Hayhurst Bridge further along the navigation in Northwich. SJ6416274964"
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