# Latchford Locks,Manchester Ship Canal,4-10



## kevsy21 (Apr 30, 2010)

The opening of the Manchester Ship Canal took place on New Year's Day, 1894. It is the eighth-longest ship canal in the world, (36-mile (58 km) only slightly shorter than the Panama in Central America.
And it may be regarded as divided into three sections. From Eastham to Runcorn it is near or through the Mersey estuary for 124 m., and thence to Latchford near Warrington, 84 m., it is inland; both these sections have the same water-level, which is raised by high tides.
At Latchford the locks stop tidal action, and the canal is fed by the waters of the rivers Mersey and Irwell from that point to Manchester, 141 m. from Latchford.Only one of the locks is used on a daily basis.
View from the Latchford Railway Viaduct













































The main lock still in use














The controls for the lock gate



















Just before i left a ship entered the lock


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