The Anderton Boat Lift, the Cathedral of the Canals, was built to enable canal boats to access the River Weaver Navigation from the Trent and Mersey canal, for faster access to the coast in 1875. The two waterways are 50ft apart vertically and there was insufficient water available for a series of locks to be viable. The solution was to build a boat lift which could carry four canal barges, two going up and two going down joining the waterways. Originally hydraulic driven, it was converted to be electric powered in 1908, after extensive corrosion problems. The conversion involved installing a massive system of gears, cables and counter-balance weights at the top of the boat lift. The lift closed in 1983, after over 100 years use and fell into disrepair. After extensive restoration it reopened in 2002, after being converted back to hydraulic power. For further information see; https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/things-to-do/museums-and-attractions/anderton-boat-lift-and-visitor-centre-cheshire.
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