The Anderton Boat Lift by David Carden

Lightmoor Press 3rd edition  £22.50

Written by one of the consultant engineers closely associated with the restoration of this historic lift. The first boat lift at Anderton was designed by Edwin Clark and opened to traffic in 1875. Operated hydraulically, it lifted or lowered vessels the 50 feet between the Weaver Navigation and the Trent & Mersey Canal above. Between 1906 and 1908 it was converted to electrical operation, so the boat lift today is a mixture of Victorian and Edwardian engineering. This book, now in an updated third edition, looks at all aspects of the Anderton Boat Lift’s eventful life; its conception and construction; the conversion from hydraulic to electrical operation; and its operation, demise and eventual restoration. Along the way, the author considers the industry and transport systems of the Northwich area and the Staffordshire Potteries, and finishes with a brief look at the new boat lift opened in 2002 linking the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals in Scotland.