The Manchester Ship Canal

From the history of the Canal The Manchester Ship Canal (MSC), affectionately known by locals asThe Big Ditch, was opened on the 21st of May 1894, and is a large canal in North West England. It runs from the north side of the Wirral Peninsula 21st of May1894North WestEnglandWirral Peninsula at Eastham, where Eastham Locks open out into the River Mersey, for 36 miles (57 km) eastwards to link the city of Manchester to the Irish Sea. Unlike Britain's other canals, the MSC was designed specifically to carry ocean- going ships, and made landlocked Manchester into an important seaport.EasthamRiver MerseymilesManchesterIrish Sea

A ship canal was proposed as a way of giving ocean- going vessels direct access to Manchester. The region was suffering from the effects of the Long Depression, and for the canal's proponents, who argued that the scheme would boost competition and create jobs, the idea of a ship canal made sound economic sense.Long Depression

The construction of the canal was overseen by the chief engineer and designer Edward Leader Williams, who was knighted by Queen Victoria at the official opening on 21 May 1894.Edward Leader WilliamsQueen Victoria21 May The opening of the canal by queen Victoria 21 st may, Edward Leader Williams

Construction began in 1887; it took six years and cost about £15 million. When the ship canal opened in January 1894 it was the largest river navigation canal in the world. Although it enabled the newly created Port of Manchester to become Britain's third busiest port. But the canal never achieved the commercial success its sponsors had hoped for.Port of Manchester

The canal was completed just as the Long Depression was coming to an end. On 18 October 2007, Tesco announced that they would be using the Ship Canal for transporting New World wine between Liverpool and Manchester. They said this will save 1 million km of road haulage per year.

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