Anderton Boat Lift
The Anderton Boat lift is the most common way of joining the Weaver Navigation. The Boat Lift, originally opened in 1875, was designed to transport narrowboats carrying cargoes down the 50ft drop onto the Weaver to tranship their materials to estuary sized vessels.
Today, the Boat Lift is a tourist attraction and continues to operate allowing pleasure, and commercial boats down onto the Weaver and up onto the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Passage must be prebooked by signing in to your online account or telephone 0303 0404 040 to book.
You can also get to the Weaver via the Manchester Ship Canal. Please click here for more details.
Anderton FAQs
To book your passage, please login to your Canal and River Trust account, and choose the "Make a Passage/Tunnel Booking" option.
See Canal and River Trust website for more details.
Please arrive at the lift 30 minutes prior to your booked passage. Tie on the waiting mooring at the entrance to the lift and await instructions by the operator.
To cancel your passage, please login to your Canal and River Trust account, and choose the "My Bookings" option. From here, choose "Cancel" or "Edit" next to your lift booking.
Moorings near Anderton
Pontoons at Anderton
Immediately below the boat lift are the floating pontoons for visitor moorings.
Barnton Moorings
Turn right as you leave the lift and 30 mins downstream you'll reach Barnton Moorings
Northwich Town Centre
Turn left from the lift and cruise for 30 mins upstream and you'll reach Northwich Town Centre.