The Peter A. Norton Archive, 1955 - 1959, the Final Working Years. (Part 1)
Peter Norton died shortly before SCARS was formed, but he influenced the
Society's formation through the publication of his "Railways and
Waterways to Warrington" (Cheshire Libraries & Museums, 1984). This
large format survey of the subject was well illustrated with many of his
own photographs, taken from the mid-fifties. The Sankey features
prominently, and brought the then-derelict canal back into the attention
of the general public. Among those so inspired was our Chairman.
The book is described as a "Second Edition" - the first having been
published in 1974 by the Railway and Canal Historical Society as a much
smaller, unillustrated booklet under the title of "Waterways and
Railways to Warrington". Many of the additional illustrations in the
later book were supplied by Society Members.
Peter carried out research for a number of waterways authors,
painstakingly copying out Boat Register entries, newspaper articles, and
other data. His photographs have also appeared in the works of others.
Click here to see part two
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A wooden maintenance float with a crane attached moored up at Penketh. A
number of maintenance vessels existed on the Sankey, many of which
feature in this Archive. Sadly no images appear to exist of the ice
breaker.
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A goods train steaming alongside the canal behind the works of Rubery
Owen, near Sankey Bridges. Peter Norton worked here at the time.
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When the railway age came, the canals had to be accommodated. On the
Sankey this was usually done with swing bridges, which were left open
for night traffic on the canal (which was ruled by the state of the
tides on the Mersey to a large extent). This bridge was the scene of a
spectacular accident in November 1858 when the ACTAEON, running back
light from Garston, missed the red warning lamp in the fog and fell into
the canal. It was hauled out a few days later, and returned to service.
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Two views of the Sankey Bridges railway swing bridge platform.
The Warrington - Widnes railway ceased to carry passengers in 1950, and
the platforms were still intact when this view was taken in about 1957.
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After the closure of the canal the signal box was no longer required and
was removed. The station platforms were looking very dilapidated by this
time. The mechanism for swinging the bridge is more clearly visible
between the lines in this view, taken probably in 1960.
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Two of Burton's "sugar boats", the ELLESWEIR (built in steel for the
Wolverhampton Corrugated Iron Company to carry from Liverpool to
Ellesmere Port by Yarwoods, Northwich, in 1924), and the FANNY BURTON
(built in wood by Burtons at Bromborough in 1938).
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The same two boats viewed from the railway towards the road bridges. The
electrically-operated bascule bridge, built by Pearson and Knowles in
1915, is most prominent, but the relief swing bridge may also be seen.
The steering arrangement on the steamer ELLESWEIR is worthy of note -
apart from the exposed position which must have been windy out on the
Mersey - the wheel is geared back to the rudder over the engine box, and
was steered from behind the back of the helmsman!
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nobstructed by boats, both bridges are clearly visible here. The small
swing bridge would have been used when maintenance was being carried out
on the main bridge. As this carried the A57, the main Liverpool -
Warrington - London road, this would have been very inconvenient to
traffic. The original wooden swing bridge here had to be replaced as the
weight of road traffic increased. It is significant that this occurred
during the First World War, when Liverpool played such a vital role in
keeping the nation supplied.
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The bascule bridge from the North, with the Mersey White Lead Works
alongside. A maintenance float is moored alongside the yard of Clare and
Ridgeway, whose offices can be seen on the opposite bank. This company
built boats and launched them, sideways, into the canal until 1913. A
dry dock (see Barker Archive) was also on the left hand bank.
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The same maintenance float from the side of the bascule bridge.
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The Cheshire Lines Committee's "Seven Arches" viaduct carries the
Liverpool - Manchester line across the Sankey Valley, crossing both
brook and canal, but at a lower height than Stephenson's Earlestown
viaduct. The canal and river are on opposite sides of the valley from
their Earlestown position, after the river's crossing of the canal at
Dallam (see Barker archive).
A train from Manchester crosses the viaduct.
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A train travelling from Liverpool crosses the eighth aperture - the
bridge may be known as the "Seven Arches" - but there are eight spaces
in its structure. There are signs of some kind of fittings having been
attached to the bridge on both sides of the square portal, but we have
yet to find plans, drawings, or illustrations to show how the masts of
Mersey flats were accommodated here - Stephenson built a fixed arch high
enough for them to sail under. Was there a moving bridge here?
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