Air photo of the Manchester Ship Canal looking towards Warrington and the M6. Note the truncated channel of the Mersey on the right. The canal cuts across the old channel of the Mersey at various locations
The Manchester Ship Canal was opened by Queen Victoria in May 1894. It connected the newly founded Port of Manchester to the Irish Sea, allowing Manchester’s merchants to bypass the Port of Liverpool. Within just a few decades, the Port of Manchester became the third busiest in Britain.
When it was opened, the ship canal was the largest river-navigation canal in the world. It remains a striking feature in the landscape of northwest England.
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