Spike Island revisited Traditional Cache
John Stead: Sorry I can no longer care for this.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Small jar in historic location
This cache was a reincarnation of one of my earlier caches from 2003, the site of which has been victim of scrub clearance and the tree which hosted it has been felled. But that cache also was muggled so I have resited its replacement almost exactly where the original was as some of the trees survived and are now well covererd in ivy Cross the canal at the river lock and follow the towpath to the left past the moored boats and kilns. Take care with children by deep water.
Spike Island really is an island, between the end of the Sankey Canal and the River Mersey. The Sankey Canal was the first modern canal opened in 1757 but only later extended to Widnes (see my cache at Sankey Waters GC1688).
The whole site was at the heart of the chemical industry and relics abound. The square piece of water near the lock was the "Wet Dock" where goods from lighters from Liverpool were transhipped to trains on the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway and which took trade from the canal. Remains of some of the Mersey Flats (boats) which traded here can be seen at low tide along the river bank to the east (mind the mud).
Parking is easy at the car park by the visitor centre (N 53 21.200 W 2 43.964) or at the Catalyst Museum which is well signposted and is also worth a visit to see how the chemical industry developed and declined. After visiting the cache it will be worth while continuing clockwise round the Island to see the flats and a preserved rudder from one of them.
Please replace as found so it does not slip out of its hidey hole
This is another cache near the Trans Pennine Trail.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Vil ngbc n fghzc