The attractive partly landscaped park area by the River Weaver is adjacent to the boat lift and museum. Narrowboat crews are able to access the Trent and Mersey canal by ascending the famous Victorian boat lift 250 metres to the west (behind the camera).
The park is a haven for wildlife and wild flowers, and popular with botanists. It was one of the first areas of the Northwich Woodlands to be reclaimed from derelict industrial land formerly connected with salt extraction. The open water areas now offer breeding and wintering sites for ducks, and smaller ponds within the park support several species of dragonfly along with toads, frogs, and smooth and great crested newts. Several websites are available giving more detailed information.
More likely, it was used for china clay, quite possibly to trans-ship it from the clay sheds as Weston Point docks on the Weaver up to the Anderton Lift, hence why it is there now. Many of these WWII concrete barges float today....