Hidden to celebrate the Easter Boat Gathering 2022!
Whitby Lighthouse, Ellesmere Port, built in 1880.
The canal from the River Mersey at Netherpool to Ellesmere and Chester first opened in 1795. Originally the Ellesmere Canal, the plan was to carry boats between the River Mersey and River Severn, creating a link with the Port of Liverpool. However the Ellesmere Canal was never fully completed. Later it would be amalgamated with several other independent canals as part of the Shropshire Union Canal under the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company.
In 1796 famous engineer Thomas Telford was responsible for the construction of Whitby Docks at the junction with the River Mersey. The docks at Whitby contained docks, warehouses, a blacksmiths forge, stables and workers’ houses and now makes up part of the National Waterways Museum. With the expansion village of Whitby merged with other local villages to form what is now Ellesmere Port.
The lighthouse was completed in 1880 and operated for only around 14 years. In 1894 the construction of the 36 mile Manchester Ship Canal meant that the lighthouse was no longer needed and was retired. In the 1970s it was restored by members of the then named Boat Museum, which would later become the National Waterways Museum.