Burscough Bridge to Salthouse Docks Liverpool
(Leeds & Liverpool Canal and Liverpool Link)
£1250pp (£2500 per charter)
Trip 11 – 11th to 18th July (7nights)
This trip is Now Booked
Burscough Bridge (Leeds & Liverpool Canal) to Salthouse Docks (Liverpool)
Total distance is 24 miles, 6 locks and14 moveable bridges
It’s been a couple of years since our first visit (during the end of Covid lockdown 1) and even then Capt. Ellis was captivated at how lovely it was… promising to return for longer ‘when the world was open’. Well, it looks like he might get his wish as by now we’ll be arriving just before the start of the School summer holidays.
We’ll expect our guests to arrive about 1.30pm on day 1 and after an introductory blah blah (and most probably a glass of something fizzy) we’ll chug off and aim to tie up for the night not far after New Lane Swing bridge… it’s a short skip but this bridge (and the 1 before it ) are notorious for breaking down – ergo, it’s better to get them both under our belt as soon as possible.
Next morning (after a simple DIY breakfast), we’ll cast off and head off to make our way to Scarisbrick Marina (probably for a pump out and top up with water) around lunchtime and then end the day around Haskayne (bridge 22 or 21).
Day 3 will see us chug towards another notoriously temperamental swing bridge (Coxhead’s) before lunching In Lydiate and our eventual night’s mooring on the outskirts of Melling – having passed through Maghull, this is the last quiet place to spend a night before we begin through the proverbial ‘badlands’… from memory they didn’t SEEM as bad as their reputation but as we don’t HAVE to stop in less salubrious places, why bother?
Day 4 is an early start… we need to make our way through Aintree, Bootle and Litherland to arrive at Stanley Top Lock (Eldonian village) by 1pm. The flight is attended but not always manned (ie they’ll unlock it and possible help us but if it’s wet, we’ll be working on our own!). After the 4 big locks, we’ll enter Stanley Dock, pass through Salisbury Dock and then chuck a 90 degree left to begin the Livperool Canal link properly.
Ellis seems very small in these waters as we pass our way down the Central Docks Channel, through Princess Dock and Lock towards the Royal Liver Building and the final lock of this trip – Mann Island Lock. Once through this we wind our way through Albert lock (famous off the Television) and assuming Capt. E doesn’t get us lost (again) make the final turns into Salthouse Docks where we’ll head for our pre-booked pontoon. (S1 – as it’s 1 of the only 2 that are alongside to give access to front and rear of the boat simultaneously). I’ve got to admit I’m feeling quite smug at having actually BOOKED this in Feb 2023 – WAY more organised than usual!
Our travels have ended now but we’ll be moored here for 2 nights which will give our guests (and the Capt.) chance to explore all Liverpool Has to offer before they leave after breakfast on the final morning.