trip down manchester ship canal

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Manchester Ship Canal

• Detailed Overview
• Tour Itinerary
• Pick-up Points
• Departure Dates

Enjoy a relaxing day out cruising along the historic Manchester Ship Canal. As you travel along the canal, take in some spectacular scenery and enjoy a lively commentary from the on-board Blue Badge Guide telling the story of how this magnificent waterway shaped the city of Manchester and the North West of England. The cruise will pass through locks and bridges that have remained largely unchanged since their construction over 100 years ago, and show you some of the region's most stunning architectural and natural sights.

The Manchester Ship Canal Cruise by Mersey Ferries will sail from Liverpool and the Wirral, travel along the captivating Manchester Ship Canal to the historic Latchford Locks and back, giving you the opportunity to experience a round-trip in the same day.

INCLUDED IN THIS TRAVEL PACKAGE

Mersey Ferries Manchester Ship Canal Cruise

Return coach travel from your local pick up point

Please CLICK HERE to view the booking conditions for ou r day excursions

Travel Arrangements

We travel to Birkenhead where we board a Mersey Ferries boat to begin our Manchester Ship Canal cruise. Relax as you travel under bridges mostly unchanged since they were built over 125 years ago and experience the rich legacy of Victorian architecture and engineering masterpieces like the Grade II listed Runcorn Rail Bridge and the Latchford High Level Bridge. At Latchford Locks the ferry will turn and start the return journey back to Liverpool and Wirral. As you sail back along the canal, through Eastham Locks into the River Mersey, you will get a breath-taking view of the Mersey Estuary and Liverpool's UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront in the distance. Enjoy the incredible panoramic views of the stunning coastline, Liverpool's famous skyline and historic buildings. The cruise will last between 5-6 hours and upon your return to Birkenhead, our coach will be waiting to commence the return journey home.

Below is a list of pick-up points available on this tour.

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Pick-up Point Times

To make an online booking, please first select the number of passengers required in the dropdown menu below, then click the shopping trolley icon in the Book Now column. If the shopping trolley icon is unavailable, online booking is not currently available for this departure. Please call our reservations team on 01286 675175 or use the Call Back facility and a member of our team will be happy to assist.

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Along the Manchester Ship Canal

Next tour: 2021, but not sure when yet. Meet: Entrance to the Science & Industry Museum, time tbc. Booking:

It’s the world’s greatest waterway, as deep as Suez, as wide as Panama, and it brought the sea into Manchester – almost as far as the city centre.

The Manchester Ship Canal was the last great man-made waterway to be constructed in Britain. A remarkable feat of Victorian engineering, linking the city with the Irish Sea at Liverpool, the canal resurrected the city’s dormant economy and enabled Manchester to become one of Britain’s biggest and busiest ports, despite being 35 miles inland.

The idea for such a canal had been discussed for years. Engineers had already tampered with the course of the local waterways. A company was formed in the 1820s to investigate the idea of this ship canal, but it was subjected to public ridicule and hostile songs were aired in local music halls. Parliament rejected the proposal while approving by one vote the building of a railway along the same route.

However the canal’s supporters weren’t dissuaded and their campaign gained ground in the 1870s when economic depression in Manchester saw industries fail, mills shut and workshops close. They knew they needed a way round the charges imposed by the Port of Liverpool for allowing cotton imports, charges that were so high it was cheaper for companies to bring their goods into England at Hull on the east coast and pay rail freight charges across the Pennines to reach Manchester.

The main drive for what became the Manchester Ship Canal came from engineer Daniel Adamson. He invited more than 70 local dignitaries – politicians and businessmen – to a meeting at his Didsbury home in June 1882 to “consider the practicability of constructing a tidal waterway toManchester”. Adamson told them: “If the Suez Canal, situated in a barbarous country and where for 50 miles there was a solid cutting of the depth of 26 feet, could be carried out there ought to be no engineering difficulties to stand in the way as far as theMerseyis concerned.”

The meeting decided to commission a detailed survey, but again the idea was ridiculed. “Real salt water could not come to Manchester,” claimed the Manchester Guardian ,which wondered whether the city would turn into Amsterdam “with its smells”. More worried, understandably, was Liverpool where one newspaper commented: “Meddling with the river would be an act of felony”. The Bill received Royal Assent on 6 August 1885 which saw the Liverpool Post mock Manchester for planning to “throw £10,000,000 into a big ditch”.

Unperturbed, Manchester celebrated mightily. On Saturday 3 October 1885 around 30,000 people marched from Albert Square to Belle Vue Gardens excited at the prospect of more jobs, better wages and the imminent sight of steamships gliding along a canal only yards from the smokestack chimneys. So large was the triumphant throng that when the front section reached Belle Vue the back was just leaving Albert Square.

Work began on the canal in 1887 and lasted six years. Seventeen thousand navvies were taken on. They were known only by their nick-names and paid once a month, usually in the nearest pub. They wore, as Terry Coleman noted, “moleskin trousers, double canvas shirts, velveteen square-tailed coats, hobnail boots, gaudy handkerchiefs and white felt hats with the brims turned up.”

The canal builders were hampered by problems with the terrain, particularly the boggy ground, bad weather and flooding. In November 1890 locomotives, rolling stock and workmen’s materials vanished in a deluge as six miles of the canal and its bridges were washed away. A year later a train of 23 wagons was sent through the wrong points and fell directly on top of a team of 20 navvies.

The canal opened to traffic on New Year’s Day 1894. Manchester was now a customs port.

The History of the Manchester Ship Canal from Ed Glinert’s “The Manchester Compendium” The canal era staged one grand last hurrah after the coming of the railways: the Manchester Ship Canal. A remarkable feat of Victorian engineering, linking the city with the Irish Sea at Liverpool, the Manchester Ship Canal resurrected the city’s dormant economy and enabled Manchester to become one of Britain’s biggest and busiest ports, despite being 35 miles inland.

The idea for the canal had long germinated, and engineers had already tampered with the course of the local waterways. A company was formed in the 1820s to investigate the idea of a ship canal but it was subjected to public ridicule, and hostile songs were even aired in local music halls. Parliament rejected the proposal while approving by one vote the building of a railway along the same route. However the canal’s supporters weren’t dissuaded, and their campaign gained ground in the 1870s when economic depression in Manchester saw industries fail, mills shut and workshops close. They knew they needed a way round the charges imposed by the Port of Liverpool for allowing cotton imports, charges that were so high it was cheaper for companies to bring their goods into England at Hull on the east coast and pay rail freight charges across the Pennines to reach Manchester.

The main drive for what became the Manchester Ship Canal came from engineer Daniel Adamson. He invited more than 70 local dignitaries – politicians and businessmen – to a meeting at his Didsbury home in June 1882 to “consider the practicability of constructing a tidal waterway to Manchester”. Adamson told them: “If the Suez Canal, situated in a barbarous country and where for 50 miles there was a solid cutting of the depth of 26 feet, could be carried out there ought to be no engineering difficulties to stand in the way as far as the Mersey is concerned.”

The canal opened to traffic on New Year’s Day 1894. Manchester was now a customs port. But Daniel Adamson, who had done so much to catalyse the project, was not around to see it. He had died in January 1890. So too had Thomas Walker, the main contractor, which caused a loss of confidence in the company and the withdrawal of some financial backers. The company was rescued by the Manchester Corporation which took over 51% of the Ship Canal Company shares.

The opening of the canal buoyed a number of local industries such as flour milling and paper making. It was soon carrying imports such as timber, grain, meat, fruit, sugar and oil, whose importance wasn’t realised at first. In its first year the canal handled nearly one million tons of cargo, but it wasn’t a financial success until the 20 th century. Many ship owners continued to use the established ports, and rumours that the new canal wouldn’t be able to handle large vessels meant traffic remained low. A lead was taken by North-East firms, who used the canal for importing raw cotton. This, and the exporting of finished cotton goods, buoyed the company.

By 1903, Manchester was the fourth largest port in the country. It was no longer reliant on the cotton industry for its economic strength for the canal had brought new and different industries – cars, food, paper – to Manchester, particularly at Trafford Park. It continued to prosper until the 1950s when the importing of cheaper foreign textiles, made, ironically, on machines produced in Manchester, brought misery to the local textile industry and led to a decline in the use of the canal. The following decade saw the introduction of containerisation – the packing of goods into huge containers which were unloaded from the ferries nearer the sea – which made the Manchester docks and much of the Ship Canal redundant.

When the Ship Canal Company began contemplating closing the upper reaches a private company, Peel Holdings, stepped in and assiduously bought the shares. On gaining control, it turned the Manchester Ship Canal Company into property developers and began to regenerate the now derelict ex-industrial land on its banks.

The 21 st century Ship Canal is symbolised not by ocean-going liners, bringing the world’s produce to the city on its waterway, but by giant corporate projects located along the water’s edge – the Trafford Centre shopping mall, the Lowry Centre arts complex, the Imperial War Museum North, and most of all the corporate skyscrapers of Salford Quays. The lower reaches of the canal are still busy with shipping, particularly around the Queen Elizabeth II Dock at Eastham and the Stanlow Oil Refinery, carrying some seven million tonnes of cargo, mostly oil, chemicals and grain, and the sighting of a cargo ship in the old Manchester Docks area is now a rarity.

Manchester Ship Canal – Facts and Figures • The 35½ mile long canal begins at the sea end by Eastham, Cheshire, where the company chairman, Lord Egerton, cut the first sod on 11 November 1886, the earth ceremoniously wheeled away in a silver barrow.

• The course of the waterway mostly follows that of the adjacent River Mersey, west of the confluence with the River Irwell, after which it merges with the latter river. The canal officially ends a mile west of city centre Manchester by Hulme Hall Road/Woden Street.

• There were 39,000 shareholders when the Manchester Ship Canal company was formed, the largest number any company had ever gathered at that time.

• The cheque with which the company bought the navigation rights in 1886 was then the largest ever signed at £1.7 million.

• The depth of the canal is 26 feet, the same as the Suez Canal, and four times that of the Irwell.

• There are five sets of locks: at Eastham, Latchford, Irlam, Barton and Mode Wheel.

• Stanlow Oil Refinery at the western end of the canal, where the smell of petrol hangs in the air, was built in 1922 on the site of a Cistercian monastery riddled with underground passages only discovered during construction of the canal.

• Passenger ships plied the canal in its early days but they had stopped by 1896 as by then there was no room for non-industrial activity.

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The atom bomb is hot news right now, thanks to this summer’s big blockbuster film, Oppenheimer, named after J. Robert Oppenheimer, organiser of the Manhattan Project which dropped the bombs on Japan in 1945.

Ed Glinert of New Manchester Walks, who has hosted countless local tours that include stopping at the atomic bunker on Chinatown’s George Street, and gives talks on the story of the atom bomb on cruise ships, relates the full atomic story to coincide with the release of the film and as the 78th anniversary of the dropping of the bombs in August 1945 to end the Second World War approaches. Continue reading →

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River Cruise in Manchester

Manchester river cruise (1 hour).

Manchester Sightseeing Cruises - Princess Katherine

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Relax with a Manchester boat trip between the city centre and Salford Quays.

Enjoy a relaxing river cruise floating down the river irwell and the historic ship canal between manchester city centre and the former manchester docks, now known as salford quays..

Board the Princess Katherine at Spinningfields in the city centre and listen to the onboard commentary as you enjoy this Manchester boat trip along the Irwell to Salford Quays for a 60-minute round trip. There are refreshments available onboard at the fully stocked bar, the perfect Manchester boat trip.

Cruise highlights See the Victoria & Albert Hotel, formerly a 19th-century riverside warehouse, George Stephenson’s 1830 Railway bridge and the striking new 2017 Ordsall Chord Bridge. Look out for the former Pomona Docks and Old Trafford football stadium, home to the world-famous Manchester United. At Salford Quays, admire the impressive glass and steel buildings of Media City including the ITV Studios which produce the long-running TV series ‘Coronation Street’. Don’t miss the BBC Studios, the Imperial War Museum North, Lowry Theatre and Gallery, the Millennium Bridge and striking new apartment blocks.

Timings  Regular* departures from Ralli Quay, opposite Manchester Spinningfields. Boarding is from the Salford side of the Irwell at Spinningfields, opposite the People’s History Museum and Dockyard Pub. Look out for the Manchester River Cruise flags on the riverside path that mark the boarding point.

The city centre boarding point is at Ralli Quay, which is opposite the People’s History Museum and Dockyard Pub.

Ralli Quay 3 Stanley Street Salford M3 5EJ

The nearest car park to the boarding point is the New Bailey MSCP, Salford. M3 5AY.

The boat docks at Salford Quays at Pier 8, beneath the Millennium footbridge, behind the Lowry Theatre.

* check river cruise website for latest sailing timetables, availability and latest information.

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Child (2-15 years)

DEPARTURE AND BOARDING POINTS

Boarding is from Ralli Quay, opposite the People’s History Museum and Dockyard Pub.

Departure from City Centre: 11:00 12:15 13:30 14:45

Optional drop off  at Manchester  Salford Qua ys: 11:30 12:45 14:00 15.15

Cruise ends Manchester: 12:00 13:15 14:30 15:45

Please ensure you arrive at least five minutes before stated departure time; the Princess Katherine cannot return to the quay once departed. Not all sailings run every day, please check the calendar for latest information.

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Manchester Ship Canal Cruise Mersey Ferries

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Manchester Ship Canal Cruise Mersey Ferries - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Manchester City Canal Cruises

Although not as famous for its waterways as Venice or Amsterdam, Manchester does have an abundance of lovely canals in which you can dump an unwanted shopping trolley or unfortunate murder victim. The amount of history in the city, and its links to Liverpool via the Ship Canal make it ripe for some posh bloke with a beard and a boat to slap up a website and start charging for trips. Here's a round-up of what's available so you don't have to spend hours trawling through the web.

By Ben Brown | Last updated 12 February 2018

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Although not as famous for its waterways as Venice or Amsterdam, Manchester does have an abundance of lovely canals in which you can dump an unwanted shopping trolley or unfortunate murder victim. The amount of history in the city, and its links to Liverpool via the Ship Canal make it ripe for some posh bloke with a beard and a boat to slap up a website and start charging for trips. Here’s a round-up of what’s available so you don’t have to spend hours trawling through the web.

City River Cruises Yes, they may be based in Liverpool, and yes, they may have a name that conjures up an absolutely terrible song – but Mersey Ferries have decided to concentrate on the importance of the Ship Canal and are now charging punters for passage between the two cities. From Salford Quays you can take a 6 hour trip down the 35 miles of canal – checking out the spectacular scenery and listening to a lively commentary. They’ll tell you the story about the rich history of the canal, as well as the two cities role in the industrialisation of the modern world.

To keep you lubricated there’s also a bar and snacks, should you get bored of nodding your head every few seconds pretending to listen. The only thing that is a bit annoying about this trip is the fact that when you reach your destination in Liverpool, it’s then a coach transfer back to Salford Quays. I’d call it underwhelming; driving down the dreary, grey M62, after such an enjoyable boat ride.

Tickets start at £42 per person www.merseyferries.co.uk

www.manchesterwatertaxis.com

With their Scheduled cruises they have some good options including MUFC Match day travel, a Sunday Lunch cruise, and even an Afternoon Tea Cruise where you can pretend you’re one of the aristocracy, eating small sandwiches and cakes while a flock of ducks take part in their mating season right outside the window.

www.citycentrecruises.com

If you’ve got a special event coming up – perhaps it’s your birthday, or you’ve managed to secure that massive contract at work, or you’ve just had the all clear from the GUM clinic – Dry Barge can host your event with a large selection of beers, wine and champagne as well as loads of entertainment options.

Their boat, The Bohemia, holds between 35 and 60 people and you can arrange for a buffet, DJ, Karaoke, strippers, probably even someone to walk around with a bowl of Smarties on their head if you asked. Check out their website for prices, and you can oddly buy yourself some Dry Barge hot pants – which I’m sure everyone would love as a special Easter present.

www.drybarge.com

One of their best tours is the dedicated Man Utd match day trip, taking you all the way from Spinningfields, right up to the Old Trafford front door, ready to watch a bunch of overpaid mard-arses get some more money to spend on gear in Flannels on a Tuesday afternoon. The journey departs 1 hour before kick-off and takes approximately 30 minutes – giving you plenty of time to grab a greasy burger on the way into the stadium. After the match, the boat leaves 20 minutes after the final whistle – which is great for avoiding the crowded Metrolink – especially if you’ve lost and everyone is sulking.

They also offer a wide variety of other, touristy cruises, from quick 45 minute rides around Salford Quays, right up to trips all the way to Liverpool down the Ship Canal.

www.manchesterrivercruises.com

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• Quays Trips
• City sightseeing
• Audio guide
• Bar on Board
• Dogs allowed
• Groups allowed
• Tour guides

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Description

Salford quays cruise.

Hop aboard the Isabella for one of our boat trips around the Salford Quays and Manchester Ship Canal.  This 50 min river trip gives you an insight into the history of the area and a unique view of Manchester including Media City, Old Trafford and the disused dry docks.

Salford Quays is quickly becoming a must do on the list of Manchester’s places to visit with the Imperial War Museum , Lowry Arts Theatre, BBC & Granada studios as well as the Lowry Outlet and a host of bars and restaurants it’s the perfect place to spend the day.

Tea and coffee is available on all our sightseeing boat trips while you cruise along the waterway. The boat departs from Salford Quays only.

All tickets are return from just outside the Pier 8 restaurant at Salford Quays. 

• Old Trafford Football Ground
• Pomona Docks
• Mode Wheel Locks
• Round trip only, there is no city centre stop on these trips
• Passenger boat Isabella
• Seating on the inside with some space on at the aft deck

Accessibility

The Isabella does not have disabled access. There is one step up and four steps down in order to board the vessel. 

The Isabella is fully heated, equipped with toilets facilities.

Departing Salford Quays:

Pier 8, M50 3RB, just by the Pier 8 Restaurant underneath the Millennium Lift Footbridge

Get Directions

We do not accept Stag parties on our Quays Adventures trips, these need to be booked privately.

All sailings are subject to the weather and the levels of the River Irwell.

There is no stop at the city centre on these trips.

Set sail on a canal boat trip in the heart of Manchester

Manchester, greater manchester.

Whether you are looking for a short break or week-long trip, enjoy historic hands-on canal tours in Manchester.

On board the Wandering Duck, travel on a vast network of canals on this multi-day canal boat tour. During this unique hands-on experience, guests will learn how to steer the boat and work the locks. There will also be plenty of time for relaxing on board with real ale from a local micro-brewery. During the trip, the boat will sail past some of the hidden treasures of Manchester as well as going into the heart of countryside and national parks.

For those interested in the history of Manchester’s canal network, Manchester Ship Canal Cruises is the place to go, with lively commentaries bringing history to life on one of the country’s major waterways. The Manchester Youth Hostel overlooks the Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield and is the perfect place to stay for a canal adventure, with plenty of other city centre attractions only a short walk away.

Content provided by Visit Manchester

• Find out more about the Wandering Duck and plan your visit
• Find more rural breaks in Manchester

For more local tourist information:

• Manchester Visitor Information Centre Tic
• Email Address [email protected]
• Contact Details 0871 222 8223

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Dinner Cruises

Book your own individual table for that special occasion or simply enjoy an evening meal out with friends or family. ​

This scheduled evening dinner cruise departs from Castlefield in central Manchester.

Boarding commences at 7.00pm.

With gentle background music playing, you will be seated, drink orders taken and served to your table.

We sail at 7.30 and the first part of the cruise is along the historic Bridgewater Canal to Pomona Lock. The boat then enters the lock and is lowered down onto the Manchester Ship Canal where we cruise on the upper reaches of the Ship Canal and then to Salford Quays where you will have views of the spectacular scenery and developments that have taken place.

These include Media City UK, The Lowry Theatre and The Imperial War Museum - North, which are connected by the hydraulic footbridge spanning the width of the Manchester Ship Canal.

All this while enjoying your evening meal, which is freshly prepared in our onboard galley by our talented chef.

The return journey is again via Pomona Lock, arriving back at Castlefield at approximately 10.15pm. Disembarkation is by 10.30pm.

Pre-booking for this cruise is essential

Please note that a booking is not confirmed until full payment is received by us prior to the cruise and you have been issued with a booking reference number.

The fully inclusive price for this dinner cruise is:

Adults £34pp​

Drinks are not included

Not suitable for children

There no commentary on this cruise

Evening Dinner Cruise Menu

Warm Serrano salad

A bed of salad leaves layered with crispy ham, toasted pine nuts and fresh asparagus

Main course

Oven roasted chicken breast 'Pomodoro'

Succulent chicken breast served with a tomato, garlic and basil sauce, tender stem broccoli, glazed carrots and crushed new potatoes

Warm sticky toffee pudding

Served with vanilla ice cream

Filter coffee  //  selection of teas

*Any special dietary requirements can be catered for,

but must be pre-ordered at the time of booking

£34.95 per person

Table bookings

Only available on selected evenings For availability, visit our calendar

Private charter

This cruise is also available for private cruises all year round, a minimum booking for 25 guests is required (maximum 50)

Please contact us for availability.