Ellsemere Port

For a canal nutter Ellsemere Port is heaven. It was developed over 200 years, as a major port on the NW coast, enabling access from the Mersey to the Shropshire Union Canal, linking the midlands, Wales and the wealth of Cheshire. It was built to  enable Chester to compete with Liverpool, which from the port is visible across the far side of the Mersey.

By the 1920s competition from the railways meant traffic through the port had declined. The magnificent warehouses, slipway, pumphouses, dry docks, all 7 acres of 18th & 19thC infrastructure, were saved because of a competing canal, the mighty Manchester Ship Canal. This company bought the port, as the ship canal is directly adjacent to the port. Its facilities were of value, even though the old Shroppie was not.

The port is now a major canal museum, preserving the boats, stories, equipment of the canal age, in a magnificent setting. It has a library and archive resource in which we were engrossed yesterday, chasing down some details of the old and non functional London to Portsmouth canal.

Our mooring is in the top basin, from where 3 locks lead down to 2 more basins, and then into the ship canal. A peaceful place, despite a nearby motorway. Tomorrow we will visit the museum again, so much to absorb, and also wander along the Mersey.

Later, we will turn Santiago around, and retrace the Shroppie to Chester, and then wend NE to her winter mooring. Only 3 more weeks left on the boat, with autumn weather sunny and mild - for the moment!

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