Canal Boat — February 2018

canalboat.co.uk Canal Boat February 2018 39

moored up, the buildings at the far end of
the dock, on the other side of the Ship
Canal, are a quarter of a mile away.
Bearing in mind how few boats make the
journey to Salford, the facilities provided
are good, with a water point and an Elsan
in a building close to the mooring.
There’s plenty to keep you occupied in
Salford Quays for a couple of days. One of
the reasons the area has become well
known is because the BBC moved its
northern base here, to Media City UK.
There are three BBC buildings housing
sport, children’s, Radio 5live, and various
other programmes, and tours of the
studios are available. ITV also has offices
here and the set of Coronation Street is
across the Ship Canal, although not open
to the public. The large studios in the
centre of the complex often have
recordings of shows going on, for which
audience tickets are available.
The Lowry centre has two theatres and
a studio space, so there’s nearly always
something on. In addition there’s an art
gallery displaying dozens of paintings and
sketches by LS Lowry (which is free to go
in), along with other temporary
exhibitions.
Across the Ship Canal is the Imperial
War Museum North. The building itself is
worth a look for its architecture, and it
contains an absorbing collection charting
a timeline from the First World War to the
present day. Admission is free.
For those who like sport, Manchester
United’s ground, Old Trafford, is a short
walk away across the Bridgewater Canal,
and has a museum in the Sir Alex
Ferguson Stand. On match days, the Quays
provide a popular walking route for fans.
The Lowry Outlet Mall has a large range
of shops, a cinema, and numerous
restaurants and cafes to choose from. For
day to day needs, there’s a rather
upmarket Booth’s supermarket behind
Media City UK. There are a couple of
Metrolink tram stops, should you want to
visit Manchester or travel further afield.
But perhaps more than anything it’s the
architecture of the Quays which make a
visit so worthwhile. There are two
fascinating bridges, a swing bridge next to
the BBC offices, and a lift bridge between
the Lowry and the Imperial War Museum.
Both are opened occasionally, not so
much for goods traffic, but for Ship Canal
trips to Liverpool on the Mersey Ferry.

And there’s the docks themselves. The

biggest, Dock 9, could take ten cruise

liners. Nowadays, you’re more likely to find

an open water swimming event than a

ship, while the watersports centre at

Central Bay offers sailing, rowing, and

wake boarding.

When your time at Salford Quays is up,

there’s a reminder that this is still a

commercial waterway: before leaving your

berth, you must phone the control room at

Eastham for permission. Then it’s a matter

of returning to Pomona Lock at the

appointed time, to be locked back up onto

the Bridgewater Canal. In spite of the

depth of the lock, the rise is very gentle.

Of course it’s quite possible to moor in

Manchester and visit Salford Quays by

tram, water taxi or trip boat. But there’s

something special about taking your

own boat to such a historic and rarely

visited corner of the waterways

network. It’s true that some planning

and extra cost is involved, but that’s a

small price to pay for a trip which so few

people have done.

Salford will match Manchester for the

variety of its waterways, but the city has

a lot to offer, if you’re prepared to spend

a little time and effort getting there.

SALFORD QUAYS

USEFUL INFORMATION

Terms and conditions for the Upper Reaches can be downloaded from: http://www.

bridgewatercanal.co.uk/media/BoatingPDFs/Terms_and_Conditions_Use_of_Upper_Reach.pdf

Bookings for Pomona Lock: [email protected] or 0161 629 8200

BBC Tours: bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

Lowry Centre: thelowry.com

Imperial War Museum North: iwm.org.uk

Manchester United Museum: manutd.com

CB

New swingbridge opens for the occasional Mersey ferry day trip