Custodians of our history
The Sankey Canal has a long history and so do we!
A group of enthusiastic people first came together in 1985 to champion the historic canal and promote the Sankey Valley for recreational use. They were concerned about the destructive impact of the canal infilling during the 1970s and the decisions made to obstruct the canal with embankments and pipelines. Some of those challenges remain, but now there is a greater appreciation of the transformational potential of a restored canal in the 21st century.
Our Sankey Canal Restoration Society archives are a record of the struggle to halt the destruction of the canal and the gradual success in helping to change official attitudes and raise the profile of the canal amongst residents and visitors.
The Society’s archives are in five main sections:
- Documents relating to projects carried out by the society over its 40 year history, mostly consisting of correspondence, plans, and drawings. Examples include the ‘Barmere’ barge restoration and the Sankey Valley Gateway projects.
- Copies of Canal Cuttings, the official magazine of the society. The journal ran until 2023 when it was replaced by Sankey Milestones.
- Minutes and related notes of Society meetings and discussions.
- Photographs of the canal when it was in use in the 1940s,through to its decline and closure in 1963 and its derelict state in the 1960s and 1970s. Also included are photos of the Society’s projects, work parties and events. In addition there are many digital images on discs and a computer hard drive plus a considerable number of film slides.
- Files of the comprehensive 1996 Sankey Canal Feasibility Report, which can be viewed on our Restoration page on this website.
Currently our archives are in safe, dry storage. We share the information whenever we can, for example at events or during presentations. We intend to digitise the collection and make it more accessible.