The Bridgewater and the Old Quay canals have articles
on other pages
which can be accessed from the 'Main Menu' but Runcorn was also served over the
years by other canals.
The Weaver Navigation was built primarily to get salt from the Cheshire hinterland around Northwich and Winsford, to the River Mersey and Liverpool. It was made by the canalising of the River Weaver, deepening it and straightening it as required to enable quite large boats to reach the Mersey at Frodsham, initially using the last mile or so of the River Weaver, then an extension was added (1810) to bring it from Frodsham to Weston Point where the Mersey was deeper and less tide dependent. The canal "locked out" to the Mersey here. A small lighthouse was erected, almost opposite the one on the Mersey at Hale Point. This also enabled Weston Point to develop as a port in its own right, for example flints and china clay, from Cornwall, could be transhipped and sent via Northwich to the Staffordshire Potteries. In 1882 a factory manufacturing salt from brine was established at Weston Point by the "Mersey Salt and Brine" Company (the modern plant is now part of the INEOS Company) and shipping facilities to export the finished salt were provided by the canal and the river. The Castner-Kellner chemical works, initially manufacturing Chlorine , Caustic Soda and Bleaching powder, was also developed at Weston Point, (today this is also part of INEOS), and made use of the canal.
A further small branch was constructed from the docks at Weston Point to the Bridgewater Canal terminal basin at Runcorn. Locals referred to this as the Weston Canal, (but the whole stretch from Frodsham is often referred to by the same name). A small section of this extension at Weston Point can still be seen running towards Runcorn but after a few hundred yards it has been filled in, approx. at the southern boundary of the modern salt plant of the INEOS Company.
The MSC construction at Weston Point. The new lock entrances from the Weaver Navigation are on the left, with the lighthouse (now demolished). A lock being constructed in the canal sea wall can be seen, top-centre.
Map showing positions of all the Runcorn canals
The SS San Zeferino passes along the MSC outward-bound towards Liverpool and under the old Transporter Bridge (demolished early 1960s), probably 1950's. Picture taken from the "Ethelfleda" railway bridge. Once a ship had passed under this bridge, going in the direction shown, the canal takes a rather sharp turn to its left before passing down towards Weston Point.
A sight impossible some 50 years ago. A heron fishing on the banks of the MSC at Runcorn (2019).
The MSC construction at the point where the SS Zefarino is about to pass over! On the right, just by the "Ethelfleda" bridge stone support,the last traces of "Castle Rock", the historical position of Ethelfledas Saxon castle, is being excavated away. On the left the large excavator is removing solid sandstone.
The "Royal Iris" on a cruise from Liverpool to Manchester up the MSC. Just passing "Old Quay bridge" at Runcorn (2017).