Port of Runcorn

Coming of the Manchester Ship Canal

From about 1877, the silting of the channels started to improve and trade improved again. The improvement continued until 1889 when the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal caused problems. Trade declined again, and in 1894 the independent customs Port of Runcorn was abolished and incorporated into the Port of Manchester. Construction of the ship canal began in November 1877. On 3 August 1887, the Manchester Ship Canal Company purchased the Bridgewater Navigation Company for £1,710,000, thus acquiring the Bridgewater Canal and its docks and the Mersey and Irwell system. The ship canal allowed large ocean-going ships to access the Port of Runcorn. The canal was completed from Eastham to Weston Point by 1892, and in July of that year a temporary port called Saltport was established at the mouth of the River Weaver. By 1893, the ship canal was opened as far as the Old Quay Dock. In order to allow direct access to the Port of Runcorn and the Weaver Navigation, four locks were built. Weston Marsh lock at the mouth of the Weaver allowed access to the Weaver Navigation; Weston Mersey lock enabled entrance to the Weaver Docks; the Bridgewater docks were served by the Bridgewater lock; and the Old Quay dock by the Runcorn Old Quay lock. The ship canal was opened throughout its length in 1894. Saltport was bypassed and a few years later it was dismantled. To the east of the Bridgewater Dock, the ship canal passes under Runcorn Railway Bridge which has a clearance of 75 feet (23 m) above the high water mark of the Mersey. This meant that the larger of the tall ships could not pass under the bridge. A lay-by was therefore built for these ships to discharge their cargo, which was carried onwards by a lighter to its destination. The lay-by was big enough to accommodate the largest merchant vessels of the day. While the larger vessels approached the Runcorn docks by way of the ship canal, the smaller vessels sailed up the Mersey and entered the docks through the locks.