Myth or Truth

[Heartland]

The observation made about the 18 in deep lock on the Grand Junction, I am reminded of a notice board on the Bridgewater Runcorn Branch near the Cruising Club. Here the Runcorn Branch was altered and according to the history board was made across a filled in ravine, rendering the old route available for conversion into Graving Docks. Yet when the Ordnance Survey is looked at a different story may be interpreted. 

 

The old course is to be seen on the 6 inch survey of 1873, but it linked with Big Pool and there was even a boat building yard on the pool accessed under the road bridge. How this link between Pool and Canal is important remains to be seen but clearly there would be movement to the boatyard and also the Quarry wharf. By the time of the 2nd Ordnance survey 1897, the canal had been cut through rendering the old route up for other use and part was adapted as graving docks. 

 

There are several questions that relate to this feature, one was the original route chosen to tap the water supply of Big Pool ?

 

 

1873 Ordnance Survey Cheshire 1873

 

Was the reason for the change down to other factors, such as the closure of the quarry. The Lancashire 25 inch of c1891 shows the change;

 

 

Edited June 29, 2018 by Heartland

[Pluto]

This is the Sprinch in 1976, after the upper end had been filled in, covering the sunken flat remains there. I think there had been another boat yard on the left, possibly used by Simpson Davies. The Pool's use for water supply is probably correct, as this section of the canal was isolated for some years before agreement was reached for passing Norton Priory.

[nebulae]

In the mid 1970"s I was involved in some work on the Sprinch Yard site. While the digger was on site,conecting the dry dock to the main Runcorn sewer.I got the digger driver to excavate the arm which now leads to a slipway,also part of the little packet dock on the Big Pool side of the Sprinch. The origional gates to all the docks were still in place on the bottom of the canal. These gates lie flat on the canal bid and are winched upright. I think there were other gates like this on the Bridgewater(but on the main line of the canal) The culvert to drain the dry docks were(are?)brick lined and go underneath that part of Runcorn,presumeably draining into the Ship Canal. They were considered to be life expired,which is why the conection was made into the main sewer. The first time the dock was used with the new connection(with a Claymore hire boat),live fish appeared at the sewage works. In mid 1974, I remember the gate to Simpson Davies yard still had their name on it. The Bridgewater Motor Boat Club had a slipway into Big Pool for many years. All buried now.