2013

SJ5184 : The Sankey Canal, Spike Island

taken 11 years ago, near to Widnes, Halton, England

The Sankey Canal, Spike Island
The Sankey Canal, Spike Island
The Sankey Canal

First opened in 1757, the Sankey Canal (which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal) runs for about 15 miles along the valley of the Sankey Brook from the point where the brook joined the River Mersey, to a location to the north east of St Helens, with short branches to Blackbrook and Gerrard's Bridge. Only two short sections at Widnes and Fiddler's Ferry are open for navigation. Much of the canal is in water although some sections have been infilled.

Built primarily to take coal down to the Mersey and Liverpool, the final traffic on The Sankey was very different, and in the opposite direction; raw sugar for the Sankey Sugar Works at Earlestown, from Liverpool. The ending of the sugar traffic in 1959 led to the closure of the Canal in 1963 after which, the canal was left neglected. It was dirty and ran through an area of chemical works and other industries.

in 1985, The Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS) was formed with the help and encouragement of the St. Helens Groundwork Trust. The principal aim of the Society is to achieve the full restoration of the Canal (LinkExternal link SCARS website).

Spike Island

Spike Island is the area of land between the Mersey Estuary and the Sankey Canal. Once the birthplace of the British chemical industry, in the late nineteenth century the area was dominated by huge factories and railway line crossed the island. With the industry’s decline, the area became a maze of abandoned chemical factories, rail lines, canal and industrial dockage, and industrial pollution, which declined into a rust belt toxic wilderness. It was reclaimed as woodland, wetlands and green space between 1975 and 1982 a network of footpaths now allow visitors to enjoy it as a recreational site.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Industry Canals Canal: Sankey Canal St Helens Canal other tags: Canal Canal Towpath Towing Path Tow Path Factory Chemical Works Reclaimed Industrial Site Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
+
+
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
TIP: Click the map for more Large scale mapping
Grid Square
SJ5184, 101 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
David Dixon   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Friday, 26 April, 2013   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 29 April, 2013
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 5136 8450 [10m precision]
WGS84: 53:21.3079N 2:43.9340W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 5132 8441
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
Clickable map
+
NW N NE
W Go E
SW S SE
Image classification(about): Geograph
This page has been viewed about 49 times
You are not logged in login | register