Ellesmere Port Boat Museum

The boat museum at Ellesmere Port has one of the world's largest floating collection of traditional canal craft.  They include narrowboats, canal barges, river barges, canal and river tugs, icebreakers and a coaster.

You can go aboard many of them and see what working and living conditions were like for the crews and often their families.

The museum is at the northern end of the Shropshire Union Canal, housed in what was once one of the busiest transhipment ports in Britain where goods were moved from canal craft to sea going ships and vice versa.  Many old Georgian and Victorian buildings and warehouses still survive and house fascinating exhibitions on the waterways, their industry and their people.

Steam, diesel and gas engines have been lovingly restored and can often be seen in operation, as can blacksmiths and others as they practice their traditional crafts.

You can also tour a terrace of dock worker's cottages which have been restored to show working class domestic life from 1840 to 1950.

Anyone planning to visit can find more information at www.boatmuseum.org.uk

Ellesmere Port Boat Museum Photo Gallery          Return to Places of Interest