Runcorn - my neck of the woods

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A lttle trip around my neck of the woods. A pity that today was so overcast as the photos would have ben much better.

It is surprising at time what one can see only a few minutes drive from your doorstep. I live on the outskirts of Runcorn, Cheshire, a really beautiful county, I should really get out more as there are some marvellous photo opportunities around this area.


So first is a view over the golf course at Sutton Weaver looking towards Frodsham Point



and swinging round 90 degrees to overlook the river Mersey





About a mile further on we come to this old swing bridge which takes the A56 over the Weaver Navigation towards Frodsham. Has not been operated for a long time now as very few large coasters travel this stretch of the water




The associated operating hut. Still called the lockkeepers hut, but for what reason no one knows as there aint no locks close to here.





This stretch of water is known as the Weaver Navigation. It is part of a series of man made improvements made to the River Weaver, which runs for 50 miles from Peckforton Castle in Cheshire to, at one time, to join the River Mersey at Weston Marshes. But since the construction of the Manchester Ship canal in 1887 it has flowed into the canal, and surplus water enters the Mersey by the Weaver Sluices.

The river was not deep enough for barges to navigate it, so a series of cuts, locks and weirs were built from 1720 onwards. Further major improvements were carried out between 1870 and 1900 in order for coasters of up to 1000 ton to use the Weaver Navigation, mainly for the transfer of salt mined in Cheshire.

Two views here from the Swing bridge, the first towards Nantwich




This one looking toward the Mersey. The bridge in the foreground is part of the Frodsham viaduct, whilst the one in the background carries the M56 over the Weaver. A lot of skullers and rowers use this stretch of water as it is quite sraight and ideal for training



More info about the Weaver Navigation is here

River Weaver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia