Harry Arnold's Historic Views of the Sankey
Part 6: Sankey Bridges

December 1961. The Canal was still officially open, though no commercial traffic had passed through the railway swing bridge in the foreground, with its WW2 pillbox alongside, or the bascule bridge beyond for over two years.

30th May 1964. By this time the Sankey had been officially abandoned, and the days were numbered for the bascule bridge in the centre. Soon to go also were the offices of Clare & Ridgeway and, eventually, the chimney of the Mersey White Lead Company.

30th May 1964. The swing bridge on the left, used as a relief bridge if the bascule bridge were ever taken out of service, still exists, and even moves - it is actually across the canal in the current internet Google Earth image of the area. A SCARS work party carried out cosmetic restoration work on it some years ago. Clare & Ridgeways' offices on the right were up For Sale when the shot was taken.

30th May 1964. The junction of Hood Lane with Liverpool Road, just West of the Canal. As the main Liverpool-Warrington-London road it would normally have quite a flow of traffic in the week, but Harry took this on a quiet Saturday. Hood Lane was originally called Cow Lane, but local lore has it that the name was changed when the Americans came to RAF Burtonwood at its Northern end, because "cow" in US slang is not a pleasant term.

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