AT FIDLERS FERRY - RIVER, RAIL AND CANAL
- by Dave Smallshaw

Tucked away in a quiet corner of what is now 'New Cheshire' and in the Penketh district of Warrington is the historic settlement of Fidlers Ferry. The spelling of the name is often the subject of discussion but the Fidler of one 'd' is traced back to the 12th century and the owner of the land with a Norman name of 'de Vicleur' which, in time, corrupted down to the present terminology - so no merry musicians at the ferry, I'm afraid.

One of the main influences in the growth of Penketh village was the Sankey Canal which was first reached Sankey Bridges in 1757 and was extended by Acts of Parliament to Fidlers Ferry in 1762, and to Spike Island in 1832 . Nowadays the canal is in water from Bewsey Lock, north west of Warrington, but has various obstructions to navigation. The short length at Fidlers Ferry, however, it is fully navigable, having been restored in the early 1980's by Warrington B.C. with the assistance of European funding. It now serves as a secure mooring off the Mersey, well-used by members of the Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club.

The Sailing Club celebrated its centenary last year. Its earliest days are shrouded in the mists of time, but a first mention of the club being set up at Fidlers ferry was recorded in 1904. The diversions of the Mersey caused by the building of the Ship Canal, silted up the upper Mersey so much that the Warrington sailing gentlemen were not now able to get up regularly to the town bridge and a need for a new location became necessary. A resolution, "That a club be formed with its headquarters at the Fidler's Ferry Hotel, and to be called the Fidlers Ferry Sailing and Boating Club" was tabled.

From earliest days to the present the Club's centenary booklet outlines a pattern of continued growth and development with competitive sailing provided for both large and small craft. Members enjoy very reasonable and secure mooring facilities and an excellent social scene and full details can be found on their interesting website at www.fidlersferrysailing.org.uk.

The writer was fortunate to be among a group from SCARS invited to be present at a centenary celebratory afternoon recently and can vouch for the warmth of welcome experienced and an open offer of a welcome for anyone interested in sailing exists for them to pop in to the club on Sunday afternoons. There are no pretensions here, just a friendly, down to earth, group of enthusiasts who like being on and around the water, as do us all. Ring 01925 723491 to check they are open.

Photo: SCARS' Visitors at the Club's Centenary Event in October:
Anthony Dooley (Halton Rangers), Cynthia Greenall (SCARS' Treasurer), Cllr. Keith Morley of Halton, David Smallshaw, our IWA observer, with the Club's Commodore, Tom Roberts.

Running parallel to the canal is a railway line, which carried coal from Parkside Colliery, until its closure, to the power station whose huge cooling towers and chimneys can be seen in the near distance. By the canal bridge is a level crossing with then old station house alongside, the only remains of the station, built in 1852, where the last passenger alighted in 1965. Coal trains carrying imported coal still feed the power station.

On the other side of the canal is the Mersey with the Ferry Tavern standing on its north bank. The pub dates from 1762 and has quenched the thirst of many travellers crossing the Mersey on the one-time ferryboat to and from the Moore district and beyond. The Trans Pennine Trail and Sankey Valley Bridleway bring present-day travelers to this charming old pub, which is full of character and atmosphere. It has a comfortable bar with a bricked floor and unplastered brick walls, no doubt because it has frequently been subject to flooding as evidenced by the flood levels indicated on various plaques around the bar. The whole place is attractively decorated with old photographs of the pub and the surroundings, maps of the north west and local canals and all sorts of memorabilia connected with sailing. They stock a fine selection of real ales to add to their wide selection of other drinks on offer and offer food - though not on Sundays.

In the mid-1800s Herbert Hobson, the Registrar for the Penketh district, wrote a history of the Penketh and Sankey area. When he retired at the end of the century he went about taking photographs of scenes mentioned in his manuscript. These are some he took around Fiddlers Ferry. Above, top: the station, signal box and stationmaster's cottage; middle: the Ferry Inn; bottom: unloading pelts for Penketh Tannery on Station Road.

Between the pub and the sailing club is a junction in the canal where a short arm runs down into the Mersey via a lock. This was the terminus of the Sankey Canal from 1762 to 1832. There were two locks in the vicinity to speed up the movement of Mersey flats between the waterway and river. The second, which lay to the west, is now covered by some industrial units but was in use until 1850 when the railway was built and the canal hereabouts had to be re-aligned. During the Great War the Concrete Seacraft Company used this area to build concrete barges as part of a steel-economy measure. The launching slipway remains are still visible on the riverbank and, although it is popular local folklore that the vessels sank, this is very much mistaken as some are still afloat, and others ventured as far as South America. (Above: the 1918 launch of the 1,000 ton CRETECAMP)

Looking westward from the fixed road bridge (Marsh House), which replaced a swing version, (Left, in Harry Arnold's 1964 view of a passing loco) the canal has been narrowed for a short distance and is heavily reeded. SCARS' work parties recently cleared some of the growth away to provide a better water flow which will help the wildlife further down the waterway. SCARS hope that the day is not too far away when craft may be able to enter at Spike Island locks and cruise up to the ferry lock as a first step in the eventual restoration of the Sankey Canal.

In support of the restoration drive in June 2003 the Society welcomed the narrow boat "Earnest", skippered by Neil Arlidge, after it entered the Sankey at both Spike Island and the Ferry lock, being the first canal craft to sail into the Ferry lock for probably a century.

So if you fancy a run out to a little haven of peace with stunning river views and a site packed with much to interest you, I would certainly recommend this spot. Access is via the A562. From Warrington, once in Penketh, turn down Chapel Lane, turning left into Station Road. From Widnes, turn down Tannery Lane soon after the power station, and then right into Station Road.. The pub car park is ½ mile down, on the left. The river and inn are accessible from the car park, by foot only, by crossing the railway and the Sankey canal bridge. Cars can reach the sailing club by turning right at the railway house, and following the road across the railway and canal, and then doubling back along the canalside. There are good public transport bus links to Penketh; check with the local operators for timings. The more energetic might like the towpath walk, starting and/or finishing from either Sankey Bridges or Spike Island.

Index for this issue     Index of all Canal Cuttings issues      Home Page

Site design and content © 2002 - 2005 Sankey Canal Restoration Society
Site design by Phil D.Long