The Thelwell Ferry

The south side ferry terminal

I first came across this interesting ferry while researching a trip to Liverpool last April. Due to the weather, I never made it here. Today I finally did, it’s well worth the visit.

The ferry has been there since the Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894. Building the canal, the owners had to maintain all public rights of way. Most of the time a bridge was built, either high level or swing. At the Thelwell ferry location there was a public footpath, rather than building a bridge they decided on a small ferryboat service. It’s been in operation since the canal opened and needs to be maintained in future years.

It was originally known as the penny ferry, the charge for using it (in old money).

It’s now called the Thelwell Ferry and it’s free.

Until recently it was operated by a small rowboat, it’s now operated by a small propellor operated boat.

The ferry man’s hut

The South Terminus

The South terminus is easily accessible by bus (which is what I did, see below).

At the south terminus there’s a landing stage and the ferryman’s hut. I never managed to see the inside of the hut, but it reveals a lot about the ferrymen. It contains a small wooden box where the ferrymen have carved messages over the years. The ferry boat is parked here when not in use.

There’s a pub nearby, The Pickering Arms. I never visited it; it’s not my sort of pub and looks expensive. According to the website describing it, there are issues with type of dispense for real ales, take care.

Easterly view along the canal, towards Thelwell Viaduct

Westerly view along the canal, towards Latchford Viaduct

Westerly view along the canal, towards Latchford Viaduct

People waiting for the ferry on the north bank

The North Terminus

There’s no public transport close to the north terminus.

There is little to see at the terminus, most of it has been fenced off, as you can see in the above photo.

If you catch the ferry over, there are two options for onward travel, both require you to walk. Behind the terminus there’s a track, an old railway used during the construction of the canal, and then for the transport of goods.

Turning left you can walk along the track to the Latchford Locks. Due to all the trees and undergrowth, there are very few views of the canal, a shame. Once at the locks, you can cross them and then catch a bus back to Warrington. Because I like engineering, this is the route I chose. I wanted to have a look at the locks.

If you turn right, there’s a public footpath leading to Martinscroft. It follows the ship canal for a bit, before turning inland, following the River Mersey. After a short distance there’s a bridge across the river, by a sluice.

Behind the track is the Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve. If you like nature and wildlife, it might be worth a visit. However, you will need to be a permit holder, which costs money. There’s more information on their website.

If you’re hoping to catch the ferry from the north terminal, you may be disappointed. If it’s not running, you’ll need to walk to Latchford or Martinscroft to catch a bus.

Ferry crossing back to the south bank

Ferry back at the south bank

South bank terminus

View towards the Thelwell Viaduct from Latchford Locks

Ferry Times and Getting There

The ferry runs between 7:00 and 9:00; 12:00 and 14:00; and 16:00 and 18:00 Monday to Saturday. On Sunday and Bank Holidays, it doesn’t run between 07:00 and 09:00. It takes about four minutes to cross, direct. When I caught it, the ferry man didn’t go directly across, he went towards Latchford for a bit to allow me to take some photos.

If the weather is windy, it may be cancelled. The operators Bilway Marine Services Ltd, publish a phone number on their website, which you can phone it to see if it’s operating. I took a chance; the sun was shining and there was no wind, so I reckoned I’d be ok. Clearly, I was.

I caught the bus to the south terminal from the Warrington Interchange. The 5 or 5A (the fastest) will get you there, one each per hour. The journey takes around thirty minutes. You need to get off at the Pickering Arms stop and then walk down Ferry Lane. There are announcements on the bus to tell you when you get there.

There’s no public transport close to the north terminus.

If you walk towards Latchford, after crossing the locks you can catch a 5/5A back to town. The bus stop is on the left, in front of the shop.

If you walk towards Martinscroft, you need to go to the main road (the A57) to catch a bus. I never did this but according to the Warrington buses website, there are two bus services you can use, the 3 and the 100. If you walk this way, I’d check the buses and the location of the stops.

If you come in a car there is no parking. On the south side there is some on-street parking nearby. On the north side the nearest parking is ten or more minutes away. If the ferry is not running when you come back, it’s a long walk back to your car from the north terminal, beware.

Hulme Free Ferry

There is one other ferry across the canal, The Hulme Free Ferry. Sometime this year I hope to investigate it.