IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Ollerton Close, WARRINGTON, WA4 2UB

With Latchford Viaduct out of action - the probable cause of the line's closure in 1985 along with the ideological stupidity of the government of the time, the path descends to the suburban road network of Warrington.

The railway from Altrincham crossed the road here on a high embankment and bridge. Height had to be gained to cross the Manchester Ship Canal at Latchford Viaduct. The railway closed in 1985, hastened by the cost of maintaining the viaduct.

The fourth set of locks on Manchester Ship Canal from Salford, giving a drop of 12'6". http://users.breathe.com/g8hxe/latchford_locks.htm

In common with all the others on the canal, there are two lock chambers side by side at Latchford. The shorter one is for smaller vessels such as tugs and coasters, enabling them to pass through using less water that would be needed if they had to use the main lock. The lift at Latchford is now 12 feet 6 inches, although it was originally sixteen feet six inches until 1909 when the canal was deepened to its present 28 foot clearance and the lift dropped to 14 foot 6. The lift was to be further reduced to its present level in 1956 when the water level was raised a further two feet between Eastham and Latchford. The hydraulic machinery here also provides power for the swing bridges in the Warrington area. https://web.archive.org/web/20081120203945/http://users.breathe.com/g8hxe/latchford_locks.htm (archived)

Looking towards Manchester with the M6 Thelwall viaduct in the distance.

The top side of the sluices with spare gates and the gantry crane that would enable them to be manoeuvred into position. For each gate there is also a stop gate which will be lowered into the water channel to cut off the flow when the main gate needs to be maintained. These are underflow sluices which means that floating debris does not interfere with the gates and can be collected as and when necessary; this can be seen building up to the right. The large object is not in fact debris, but a spare lock gate. Keeping them afloat means that it is easy to tow them round to where they are needed, and the wooden meeting faces are also kept moist so that the timber does not split.

The flotilla was organised by the Inland Waterways Association to mark the Centenary of the Ship Canal.

The eastern end with the older Thelwall Viaduct visible in the background.

The smaller lock is having a gate change with the aid of the steam powered "250 Ton crane". When the activities were over for the night we got invited on board with the plant ticking over nicely. The actual lifting is by big DC motor driven winch with Ward-Leonard control (no, I don't understand it either).