Chester Road/Walton Road/Ellesmere Road

[Peter T]

Is the Moore Lane one still there?

Sadly, a guy who I could have asked who worked that bridge and even allowed me to work it one day, is no longer with us.

[algy]

Certainly is Peter if you wish to see it heres the link:-

http://www.mediafire.com/i/?wxpuow0o9tlgo1i

Credit to photographer Peter Hodge.

[Dizzy]

Here I go again... really sorry Algy

 

Ironically I spotted this picture and you can see the tower located on the opposite side of the canal and roughly where the cement works was. I say ironically as it is one of your photos (hope you dont mind that I copied and zoomed in on it.)

 

This photo is taken from the Stockton Heath end of Ellesmere looking west towards the Stag pub end at Walton

 

 

The original photo which started all this was taken from Chester Road near the Stag looking east towards Stockton Heath

 

 

Now cameras do lie but WOULD it be possible to see the tower from such a distance and due to the bend in the road etc. Also would the tower be so clear on the photo below, and also scaled in such a way to make it appear to be inline and after the end house on the corner ?? MAYBE there were TWO towers ?

 

..... and finally does it really look like the other the tower at Moore when you compare them side by side?

 

Moore Tower

 

 

Ellesmere Road Tower

 

 

and another 'finally' that is confusing me is the 1970 RAF arial photo uploaded by you Algy shows a tower but this photo below taken in c1965 shows the OLD cement tower works at the same spot (this was the one that was there before the more modern one that they knocked dowm a few years ago)

 

 

I know I am a pain in the **** and sometimes I should just not think and wonder so much eh?

Good job I'm not a private investigator or nothing would ever get solved

[Dizzy]

Right I'm answering my own questions now so as not to trouble you all further.

 

After being shouted at by an elderly neighbour for insisting that I have never ever seen the brick water tower in question .......

 

.....It has now been confirmed that YES there was a brick built water tower next to the cement works on the peninsular of walton locks. No one yet seems to remember what it was actually used for but word is out so maybe someone will know

 

The Water Tower was there before the first cement works was buits in around 1940 (for the war effort) and the tower remained there on the site until at least the 80/90's or possibly even later.

 

It had windows in it and a staircase that went up inside and all the local kids who are now in their mid 40's used to play in it apparently (I must have missed out on that experience ) It was identical to the one on Algys photo at Moore.

 

Another lady seems to remember there being another one Fairfield road too.

 

Now there is a BUT as when they saw the photo of my so called 'obelisk' they said although very similar it didn't look quite like that as it had windows and a door and did not have the tall opening that seems to be at the front.

 

Could be that it was altered later on I guess or maybe there were two and mine was knocked down as apparently the whole row of houses shown on the old photo were demolished and replaced.

 

Oh and there was a sewage works on the opposite side too and the ships used to deposit their wiffy loads at 12pm prompt... at least they stuck to a specific time so people knew when not to leave their windows open eh

[algy]

Dizzy, now how did you come by that nom de plume? seriously you have done some hard graft researching, dare I call it 'our tower', regarding apertures and bricking up of windows these very often happened when a building ceases to operate as it was designed to do so and consequently may be used as storage or some other function as I'm sure happened to these towers over the years and very often it was more cost effective to leave it standing rather than fetch someone such as Fred Dibnah in to demolish it. I'm sure in the 1940s' the swing bridge at Moore Lane was operated by a deisel or petrol engine so that tower would no longer have been used.

[algy]

Here is a photo of the hydraulic equipment used to turn the pinnion gear to rotate the swing bridge.

http://www.mediafire.com/i/?8ov1m9aums38242

[Dizzy]

Hope you didn't put yourself in any danger getting that picture Algy

 

As for your comment re my nom de plume

 

I'm not that Dizzy really although yes I do tend to go round in circles a lot when I am on a mission

 

And ok so maybe I'm a little scatty at times too and climbing over canal fencing in search of traces of 'our' lost tower was not such a good idea either

 

But all worked out well in the end and my mission has now ended.

 

Look what I've just been given..... the lady in the photo used to live opposite the cement works (which apparently was a concrete works )

 

 

So there's our tower Algy.... and YES it was a Water Tower which like you kept telling me was used to push water through to the bridges to help them turn. There was another near Stockton Heath swing bridge too.

 

Guess the windows recesses and decorative bits must have been added after the one shown in the original old photo... unless .....

 

Cheers

[algy]

You know Dizzy, now I have seen that photo of that wonderful lady I can remember that tower isn't it marvelous how a photo can jog your memory, as they say "a pictures worth a thousand words".

If you have researched your family tree I bet it took a long time but I also bet it is very precise and comprehensive.

[Peter T]

So Dizzy, (need a second opinion?), could that concrete works be linked to the concrete boats found at Greenall's?

[Dizzy]

The lady's name was Ivy Browning and I'm told she was a lovely lady and a real character. Apparently she worked as a registrar and she originally lived at number 60 Ellesmere Rd for many years until she moved next door to number 59 in 1969 as it was bigger I was only 5 then

 

As for me researching my family tree sadly I never have as other than immediate family back to grandparents I have no recollection of names or any knowledge simply because although I often 'listened' to my mum when she told me about my ancestors and their lives I never switched my brain on to 'record' and it went in one ear and straight out of the other.

 

As for local history for some reason after 40 years of me growing up surrounded by my mums love of it and not being interested in the slightest a little switch suddenly turned on inside me about 5 years ago and I finally started to find myself obsessed with it at times

 

I've always been a bugger for trying to get to the bottom of things though and not giving up

[algy]

Peter I believe that there was a concrete boatbuilding company at Penketh on the Sankey canal so it's probable they were constructed there:-

Taken from 'Penketh History'

Penketh Yacht Haven (marina) is situated a little further down the Sankey Canal from the Ferry Tavern, The yacht Haven holds the claim to fame of being the location of the manufacture of concrete ship, the first barge built there, the ELMARINE, was deliberately sunk in about 1984, under the Duke of Lancaster at Mostyn on the Dee. Two 1000 tonners, the CRETECAMP and the CRETECOVE were both launched successfully and worked until the 20s. They were among a large number of dumb barges and tugs built of concrete by the Admiralty - one or two are afloat still, and some were towed across the Atlantic. The idea didn't catch on because steel once again became cheap and plentiful at the end of the war. (Information supplied by Dave Long)

[Dizzy]

Peter, sorry I missed your post when I was rambling on (that's twice I've done that tonight)

 

There was a topic on here sometime ago that went on for a while about the concrete boats and the building of them and like Algy so points out they were built at Penketh although I recall something to do with Liverpool too.

 

If I have a few minutes I'll try and find the old topic for you but as the forum search capability does not seem to like the inclusion of wildcard submissions it may really take me a while

[Dizzy]

Ok so not found the topic yet but here you go Peter this may help.

 

Taken from Warrington Worldwide's very own free magazine Issue 83, dated Sept 2006

 

Old barges revive memories

OUR story last month about the concrete barges, unearthed on a new housing development off Gainsborough Road, Warrington, has revived a few memories in the town.

 

But it seems the vessels are older than was first thought - and in fact date from World War 1.

 

Ernest Wilcock, 83, worked for Crosfields for many years and remembers the barges being in the Old River Bed as early as 1937 -the year he started work.

 

He says they were made during World War 1 at Clare and Ridgeways, in Liverpool Road, Warrington for use in the war effort.

 

In fact, they were never used and lay in the Old River Bed until it was filled in around 1947.

 

He said: "Concrete barges were again built during World War 2 because of the shortage of steel. "But these were built during the First War. Many local lads will have played on them over the years.

 

Another reader with memories of the barges was Mr W Price, of Orford who said: "Your write-up brought back many happy memories of the time I played on those barges. I was about 12 years old at the time. I am now a 92-yearold pensioner."I also saw them filling in the old river bed ? that would be about 70 years ago."

 

Concrete barges, or FCBs (Ferro Concrete Barges) were indeed built during World War 1. But it was in World War 2 that they really came into their own, playing a key role in the D-Day Landings.

 

[Peter T]

Smart ****.

 

I must have been away for that one. Thanks. I might google the subject and use it.

[Dizzy]

[Peter T]

Just googled and this thread was on there.

[Dizzy]

And you were suprised by that

 

Warr WW forum comes up on a lot of google searches when looking for local info as does the news..... surely you must have noticed before

[Peter T]

I don't usually have that much time to spend on the pc, let alone googling.

[Dizzy]

It took me less than a minute to find the Warr WW news article... but then again I am pretty good with computers and t'internet and as I spend most days 'working' on my pc I multi-task

[Pedro]

We started with traffic probs by the Stag and went on to a 'mystery tower' which appeared to have stood on Ellesmere Road and the purpose of said tower and others by the MSC, plus demolished bus shelter/public toilets and now concrete boats. So forgive me for digressing still further - does anyone out there know where the steel hulled ship TAYLEUR was actually built at Bank Quay before the ill fated maiden voyage from Liverpool bound for Melbourne 1854. I would like to identify where the ship was launched from before being towed to the Pool and were any other ocean going liners built at Bank Quay ??

[Dizzy]

This thread has followed a rather broad and wavy line hasn't it but as the topic starter I like that.... in this case anyway

 

No idea about your boat but of course I'll be googling and will see if I can find anything out for you.

 

By the way in a few months time this thread will probably still be going and it will have taken another tangent to that of the usual complaint of the ungritted and icy roads. In a months time it will be one year since the snow and ice first hit Warrington last year... anyway I digress and maybe I should start another topic on that one eh

[Dizzy]

Info re TAYLEUR for starters.... I know I was quick

 

Rather a sad story eh

 

Guess you probably know all this already though but I thought other mike like to read it anyway.

 

http://www.mightyseas.co.uk/articles/tayleur.htm

[Dizzy]

Here you go there's a book about the TAYLEUR and loads of info and pictures from it if you scroll down.

 

http://www.eraoftheclipperships.com/maritimebookreview5.html

[algy]

Pedro Re Tayluer see post on General Chat section