Buttress has been appointed to work on the site-wide visitor offer at Anderton Boat Lift with plans now submitted to help protect and maintain the heritage site for future generations.
Dating back to 1875, and last fully refurbished and reopened at the turn of the millennium, Anderton Boat Lift now needs a major upgrade to keep it operational. This first phase of work includes investigations and surveys around the lift grounds, inspections of the lift, confirming design elements and high-priority repairs. These will all inform the main improvement and refurbishment phase which the Trust hopes to begin in autumn 2025, after the lift's 150ᵗʰ anniversary celebrations in July 2025.
The visitor welcome
Also included are plans to upgrade the visitor centre to include a new flexible event space. Our ambition is to improve the visitor attraction to welcome more visitors and to help them engage with the site, explore, learn, and have fun. The Trust has proposed exciting new facilities to replace the existing marquee with a modest extension to the existing building.
Importantly, when not in use for events, the space transforms into an inspirational exhibition area for visitors to explore, engage and learn about the lift, the place and people before exploring the grounds and the lift itself.
Engineering the Future
The Trust has developed an ambitious, externally funded programme - the Engineering The Future project - to revitalise the Anderton Boat Lift and Visitor Centre, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. In December 2022 the Trust was awarded a £574,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the development phase of this major project, thanks to National Lottery Players. An application for Stage 2 funding will be submitted in the spring of 2025.
Jason Leach, Head of external programme delivery at Canal & River Trust
"Anderton Boat Lift is an iconic symbol of our industrial heritage and it's amazing that it is still in use today, providing a vital link for boaters between the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey Canal. With such a rich history, it has an important role to play in telling the story of our canals to visitors.
We are committed to preserving Anderton Boat Lift for navigation and to inspire future generations. The investigatory work that will be carried out by JN Bentley is the first step in upgrading the boat lift and its surrounding environments. This will not only make it more resilient and keep it available to boaters, but the transformation of the grounds and visitor centre will mean more people of all ages can see, hear, and experience this special place and learn about why it's so vital to keep the boat lift - and our canal network - alive."
Andrew Holt, Operations Manager at JN Bentley
"We are pleased to be working with Canal & River Trust to deliver this Engineering the Future project on the historic Anderton Boat Lift. We'll bring our fifty-plus years of experience to the project to deliver the improvements the structure deserves. We recognise the importance of the boat lift to boaters, the local community, and the heritage of our waterways as a whole, and look forward to collaborating with Canal & River Trust to deliver the project over the coming months."
Libby Butterworth
Libby is an experienced architect who is passionate about creating spaces that enhance the lives of others.
Stephen Anderson
Stephen leads the practice's heritage team, specialising in projects that involve listed buildings and heritage assets and responding to their impact on place and local communities.