Anderton Boat Lift, Boat lift in Anderton with Marbury, England

Anderton Boat Lift is a boat lift in Anderton with Marbury, England, that moves vessels across a vertical distance of 50 feet (15 meters) between the River Weaver and Trent and Mersey Canal. Two steel and concrete chambers hold the watercraft as they rise and descend at the same time.

Engineer Edwin Clark designed the lift, which opened in 1875 to simplify the transport of salt and other goods across the Cheshire waterways. Originally powered by hydraulics, it was later changed to electric drive before reopening in 2002 after restoration work.

The lift connects two important Cheshire waterways and remains open for visitors who can experience the structure up close during guided tours. Regular trips show how boats still move between the two levels today.

A visitor center, coffee shop, and landscaped gardens provide space to relax before or after viewing the structure. Boat trips and guided tours run from April to November and allow visitors to see the lifting mechanism in action.

The two chambers move by their own weight and counterweight, so the system needs little extra energy when one chamber fills and the other empties. Each steel chamber weighs around 250 tons and travels along vertical cast-iron guide rails.