Building the Manchester Ship Canal at Arpley Meadows

The Manchester Ship Canal was the last major canal to be constructed in Britain, opened by Queen Victoria in 1897. It fell into disuse in the 1970s when ships became too large to fit its locks. Today (early 21stC) it is grossly under used and its inland port at Salford has been redeveloped for modern uses. Trips can be taken on the canal on a Mersey Ferry – refer to Co-op Travel for details.