Harry Arnold's Historic Views of the Sankey
Part 3: Earlestown and Newton Common

The Sankey Sugar Works in full flow in October 1962. Although the Sankey was still officially open the barge traffic delivering raw sugar from Liverpool Docks had ceased in 1959.

Bradley Lock is in view on the far right, with, in the centre, workshops of the Earlestown Carriage Works, which closed in 1964, showing above the nine arches of Stephenson's Sankey Viaduct.

Also in October 1962, a close-up of Bradley Lock. The gear for raising the gate paddles has been removed, presumably to prevent the local kids from playing with them when they came to play on the Mucky Mountains behind.

In view in the centre is Newton Cottage Hospital, and just visible down the slope from it on the far right is the distinctive water tower of the Vulcan Works.

Most of the flats and barges which carried the raw sugar from Liverpool to the Sankey Sugar Works were wooden, and so had very little scrap value when they came to the end of their lives. Many ended up like these below Newton Common Lock, photographed in October 1961.

Harry even noted their names, as cut into their sterns; (from right):

HERBERT of Winwick, QUEEN of Sankey, PRINCE ALBERT of Winwick, and JOHN.

The roof of the cottage where Stephenson is said to have lodged during the construction of the Sankey Viaduct is visible behind them.

Also photographed at the end of October 1961 was Newton Common Lock. The Sankey was officially Abandoned beyond here in 1931.

The gates have been removed, but the former swing bridge appears well maintained, though there appear to be stays fixed to keep the lock walls stable in an area of mining subsidence.

Sadly, the Ship Inn and the cottages beside are long gone.

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