| River Mersey | |
|---|---|
 The River Mersey atLiverpool, looking towards theRoyal Liver Building | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Counties | Greater Manchester,Cheshire,Merseyside,Lancashire (Historic) |
| Cities | Liverpool,Manchester |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | (source of theRiver Tame) |
| • location | west of Buckstones Moss,West Yorkshire |
| • coordinates | 53°37′07″N2°00′13″W / 53.6187°N 2.0035°W /53.6187; -2.0035 |
| • elevation | 1,552 ft (473 m) |
| 2nd source | (confluence of Tame andGoyt) |
| • location | Stockport, Greater Manchester |
| • coordinates | 53°24′51″N2°09′23″W / 53.4143°N 2.1565°W /53.4143; -2.1565 |
| • elevation | 130 ft (40 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Liverpool Bay |
| Length | 69 mi (111 km) |
| Basin size | 1,810 sq mi (4,680 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Designation | |
| Official name | Mersey Estuary |
| Designated | 20 December 1995 |
| Reference no. | 785[1] |
TheRiver Mersey (/ˈmɜːrzi/) is a major river inNorth West England. Its name derives fromOld English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms ofMercia andNorthumbria.[2] For centuries it has formed part of the boundary between thehistoric counties ofLancashire andCheshire.[3]
The Mersey is currently regarded as starting at theconfluence of theRiver Tame andRiver Goyt in the centre ofStockport. However, older definitions, and many older maps, place its start at the confluence of theEtherow and Goyt, nearMarple, about 4 miles (6.4 km) further upstream.
It flows westwards through southManchester, then into theManchester Ship Canal nearIrlam Locks, becoming a part of the canal and maintaining its water levels. After 4 miles (6.4 km) it exits the canal, flowing towardsWarrington where it widens. It then narrows as it passes betweenRuncorn andWidnes. The river widens into a largeestuary, which is 3 miles (4.8 km) across at its widest point nearEllesmere Port. The course of the river then turns northwards as the estuary narrows betweenLiverpool andBirkenhead on theWirral Peninsula to the west, and empties intoLiverpool Bay. In total the river flows 69 miles (111 km).[4]
Part of theMersey Railway, a rail tunnel between Birkenhead and Liverpool opened in 1886. Two road tunnels pass under the estuary from Liverpool: theQueensway Tunnel opened in 1934 connecting the city to Birkenhead, and theKingsway Tunnel, opened in 1971, toWallasey. A road bridge, completed in 1961 and later named theSilver Jubilee Bridge, crosses between Runcorn and Widnes, adjacent to theRuncorn Railway Bridge which opened in 1868. A second road bridge, theMersey Gateway, opened in October 2017, carrying a six-lane road connecting Runcorn's Central Expressway withSpeke Road and Queensway in Widnes.[5] TheMersey Ferry operates between thePier Head in Liverpool andWoodside in Birkenhead andSeacombe, and has become a tourist attraction offering cruises that provide an overview of the river and surrounding areas.
Water quality in the Mersey was severely affected by industrialisation, and in 1985, theMersey Basin Campaign was established to improve water quality and encourage waterside regeneration. In 2009 it was announced that the river is "cleaner than at any time since the industrial revolution" and is "now considered one of the cleanest in the UK". The Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service manages local nature reserves such asChorlton Ees andSale Water Park.
The river gave its name toMerseybeat, developed by bands from Liverpool, notablythe Beatles. In 1965 it was the subject of the top-ten hit single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" byGerry and the Pacemakers.
The name "Mersey" is derived from theAnglo-Saxonmǣres, 'of a boundary' andēa, 'a river'.[3] The Mersey was possibly the 'border river' betweenMercia andNorthumbria.[2] Its Welsh name isAfon Merswy. Prior to Anglo-Saxon conquest of the region, the river was almost certainly known by a Celtic name - recorded byPtolemy as "Seteia" (as the Southern border of the Brittonic "Setantii" tribe). "Seteia" and "Setantii" both lack clear Celtic roots, leading some to suggest that this was likely a corruption of the actual name.[6] Some, including David Parsons, have suggested the original forms "Segeia" and "Segantii" - based on the root "sego" meaning "strong".[7]Andrew Breeze instead suggests the original forms "Meteia" and "Metantii" - from "met" meaning "cut" or "harvest" - with the likely meaning being that the Metantii were "reapers (of men), cutters-down (of enemies)", with the river Meteia meaning "reaping one" or "she that cuts down" (Breeze notes the possibility of a local deity associated with the river, but highlights that this is only a supposition based on known deities likeSulis andAerfen).[6]
The Mersey is formed from threetributaries: theRiver Etherow, theRiver Goyt and theRiver Tame. The modern accepted start of the Mersey is at the confluence of the Tame and Goyt, in centralStockport,Greater Manchester. However, older definitions, and many older maps, place its start a few miles up the Goyt atCompstall; for example the1911 Encyclopædia Britannica states "It is formed by the junction of the Goyt and the Etherow a short distance belowMarple in Cheshire on the first-named stream." The 1784John Stockdale map shows the River Mersey extending toMottram, and forming the boundary betweenCheshire andDerbyshire.[8] In the west of Stockport it flows at the base of a cliff below the road called Brinksway before reaching flat country. An earlyOrdnance Survey map indicates the spring at Red Hole on the border of Cheshire and Yorkshire at the head of one of the Etherow's longest headwaters, as being theSource of the River Mersey.[9]
From Central Stockport the river flows through or pastHeaton Mersey,Didsbury,Northenden,Chorlton-cum-Hardy,Stretford,Sale,Ashton on Mersey,Urmston andFlixton, where it flows into theManchester Ship Canal just south ofIrlam Locks. At this point the Ship Canal is the canalised section of theRiver Irwell. The old course of the Mersey has been obliterated by the canal pastHollins Green toRixton although the old river bed can be seen outside Irlam and atWarburton. At Rixton theRiver Bollin enters the canal from the south and the Mersey leaves the canal to the north, meandering throughWoolston, where the ship canal company's dredgings have formed theWoolston Eyes nature reserve, and on toWarrington.
During the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, the original course of the river through Wilderspool (which is north of Stockton Heath and Lower Walton) was diverted westward into a canalised section. Wilderspool Causeway remains the only remnant of the original eastern bank of the Mersey at this point in Warrington. Part of the original river channel becameWarrington Dock (Walton Lock) in the ship canal. In the 1960s, the former river channel was filled. The area is now Wilderspool Causeway Park. At the western end of the canalised section in Warrington is the old entrance to the formerRuncorn to Latchford Canal. This waterway was abandoned with the construction of the ship canal. It was constructed because the Mersey is tidal from Howley Weir in Warrington. The canal let river traffic reach Warrington during low tides.
During high spring tides, water levels often top the Howley Weir. Before construction of the ship canal, work to improve navigation on the Mersey included Woolston New Cut, bypassing a meander, and Howley Lock for craft to avoid the weir; the new cut and lock are still evident. The island formed between the weir and the lock is known locally as "Monkey Island".
West of Warrington the river widens, and then narrows as it passes through the Runcorn Gap between the towns ofRuncorn andWidnes, inHalton. TheManchester Ship Canal passes through the gap to the south of the river. The gap is bridged by theSilver Jubilee Bridge andRuncorn Railway Bridge. Another crossing, theMersey Gateway road bridge opened in October 2017, and is situated about 1 mile upstream from the Runcorn Gap where the river is considerably wider.
From the Runcorn Gap, the river widens into a largeestuary, which is 3 miles (4.8 km) wide at its widest point nearEllesmere Port. The course of the river then heads north, withLiverpool to the east and theWirral Peninsula to the west. The Manchester Ship Canal enters the river atEastham Locks. The eastern part of the estuary is much affected by silting, and part of it is marked on modern maps as dry land rather than tidal. Thewetlands are of importance to wildlife, and are listed as aRamsar site.[1]
Most of theconurbation on both sides of the estuary is known asMerseyside. The estuary narrows between Liverpool andBirkenhead, where it is constricted to a width of 0.7 miles (1.1 km), betweenAlbert Dock in Liverpool and theWoodside ferry terminal in Birkenhead. On the Liverpool side,Liverpool Docks stretch for over 7.5 miles (12.1 km), the largest enclosed interconnected dock system in the world. American authorHerman Melville compared Liverpool Docks to thepyramids of Egypt and theGreat Lakes.[10] The docks were built out into the river bed. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board usedgranite from a quarry it owned in Scotland for construction of the quays. Birkenhead grew quickly in the 19th century following the introduction ofsteamships, the earliest being the woodenpaddle steamerElizabeth in 1815.[11] Docks were developed along with ashipbuilding industry, flour milling and soap manufacture on the river's Cheshire bank.[12]
Seaforth Dock, afreeport on the Liverpool side of the estuary where it meets Liverpool Bay, opened in 1971. The dock deals with around 500,000 containers, over 1.2 million tonnes of oil, over 2.5 million tonnes of grain and animal feed, 452,000 tonnes of wood per year. About 25% of all container traffic between the UK and USA passes through the port making it one of the most successful in the world and known as the "Atlantic Gateway".[13] Liverpool was the first UK port withradar assisted operations.[13]
The river empties intoLiverpool Bay on theIrish Sea, after a total course of 69 miles (111 km). From 4 metres (13.1 ft)neap tide to 10 metres (32.8 ft)spring tide, the River Mersey has the second highest tidal range in Britain – second only to theRiver Severn. The narrows in the river estuary between Dingle Point on the Liverpool banks to New Brighton on the Wirral, forces water to flow faster creating a deep channel along the section of river.
For 200 years an admiral was appointed as a conservator to ensure the river remained navigable.Mary Kendrick was the first woman to the post and she had spent years studying aMersey barrage in the 1980s.[14]
Taylor's Bank is a large sandbank extending out to sea on the north side of the channel entrance to the river, on which many ships have come to grief over the years.[15][16]
Historically the lowest bridging point on the Mersey was at Warrington where there has been a bridge sincemedieval times.[17][18] The firstferry across the estuary was introduced in medieval times by monks fromBirkenhead Priory. They transported travellers or accommodated them at the priory in bad weather.
Countless people died on the River Mersey until the advent of safe passage via bridges and tunnels.[19] Many of these deaths were of people who earned their living on the river, either as mariners or dock workers. The majority of mariners to die worked on theMersey flat boats and drowned due to the weather conditions or poor craft maintenance, although many ordinary civilians perished too.[19] Another ferry existed at Runcorn Gap and by today's safety standards was highly dangerous. Passengers had to traverse wooden planks over the mud flats to reach the ferry boats which themselves were often poorly maintained and leaking. Even the steps down to the river bank were described as "beautifully slippery". In the dark the ferry was particularly worrying as there were few or no lights and the journey was only undertaken on a "needs must" basis. Complaints about the appalling conditions were reported in the local and national press consistently for over 40 years.[19]
In the early 19th century steam operated ferries were introduced.[12] TheMersey Ferry, managed and operated byMerseytravel, operates betweenPier Head in Liverpool andWoodside in Birkenhead andSeacombe. It has become a tourist attraction offering cruises that provide an overview of the river and surrounding areas.[20]
TheMersey Railway completed its tunnel through the estuary's underlyingTriassicsandstone using manual labour in 1885. Intended as apneumatic railway, the company opted for steam trains from its opening until it was electrified in 1903. The centre of the running tunnel is between 30 feet (9.1 m) and 70 feet (21.3 m) below the river bed. The railway is now part of theMerseyrail network.[21] Two road tunnels pass under the estuary from Liverpool. By road, theQueensway Tunnel opened in 1934 connecting the city to Birkenhead, and theKingsway Tunnel, opened in 1971, connects withWallasey.
Further upstream, theRuncorn Railway Bridge over the river at Runcorn Gap was built in the 1860s for theLondon and North Western Railway on the mainline between London and Liverpool. It had acantilevered footway providing an alternative crossing to a ferry.[22] In 1905 the now demolishedWidnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge opened and took cars and passengers via a cable car. TheSilver Jubilee Bridge, completed in 1961, is immediately adjacent.[23]
East of Warrington, theM6 motorway crosses the river and the Manchester Ship Canal on theThelwall Viaduct. When the viaduct opened in 1963, it was the longest motorway bridge in England.[24] A second viaduct alongside opened in 1995; northbound traffic uses the old viaduct and southbound the new.
A new 6-lane bridge, the "Mersey Gateway", between Runcorn and Widnes began its construction phase in May 2014 and opened just after midnight on 14 October 2017.[5] At the same time the Silver Jubilee Bridge was closed to undergo maintenance for approximately 6–12 months, but remained open to pedestrians and cyclists.[25] The new bridge uses tolls and the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge is also tolled open to local traffic.
Water quality in the Mersey was severely affected by industrialisation, and in 1985, theMersey Basin Campaign was established to improve water quality and encourage waterside regeneration. In 2002, oxygen levels that could support fish along the entire length were recorded for the first time since industry began on the Mersey.[26]
In 2009 it was announced that the river is "cleaner than at any time since the industrial revolution" and is "now considered one of the cleanest [rivers] in the UK".[27]
Persistent organic andmercury (Hg) pollution contained within sediments of the Mersey estuary have been evaluated byBritish Geological Survey.[28][29] Mersey river sediments from outer to inner estuary (Alfred Dock to Widnes) contain a variety of common organic pollutants, includingpolyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) with concentrations which fall in the middle of the range of similarly industrial-urban river-estuaries.[28] The distribution of individual PAH compounds suggests that the Mersey has contaminants mainly derived from combustion sources such as vehicle exhaust as well as coal burning. The distribution of the toxic heavy metal Mercury (Hg) has been assessed by measuring 203 sediments taken from shallow cores (0.4 – 1.6 m) extracted from both the main river and adjacent salt marshes.[29] The average amount of Hg in the Mersey was found to be 2 mg/kg with the highest amounts of 5 mg/kg occurring below the surface at concentrations harmful to sediment dwelling biota. The vertical rise and fall in Hg pollution observed at four Mersey salt marshes indicated a decline in metal pollution since the 1980s.[29]
Salmon have returned to the river[30] and have been seen jumping atWoolston and Howley Weirs between September and November. Salmonparr andsmolt have been caught in the Mersey's tributaries, the River Goyt and theRiver Bollin.[31]Atlantic grey seals from Liverpool Bay occasionally venture into the estuary[32] along withbottlenose dolphin andharbour porpoise.Otter tracks have been observed near Fiddlers Ferry.[33] Other fish in the estuary includecod,whiting,dab,plaice andflounder.[34]Spiny dogfish,mackerel andtope feed onshrimp andwhitebait in the estuary.[34] For ducks, the estuary is important tocommon shelducks andEurasian teal.[35] Waders includeredshank,black-tailed godwit,dunlin,pintail andturnstone.[36][37]
The section of the estuary between Runcorn Railway Bridge andBromborough, includingHale Duck Decoy andMount Manisty, is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the SSSI citation describing it as an "internationally important site for wildfowl".[38] There are further SSSIs at New Ferry[39] and Mersey Narrows.[40] The Mersey Estuary,[1] and the Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore,[41] are alsoRamsar sites.
Capt. William Gill of theIsle of Man Steam Packet Company, charted a safe, navigable channel (the Victoria Channel) through the treacherous uncharted waters of the estuary in 1836.[42]
Since the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, large commercial vessels do not usually navigate the estuary beyondGarston on the north bank, or the locks into the ship canal atEastham. Deep-water channels are maintained to both. Until the early 20th century, commercial traffic bound for further upstream carried cargo in large flat-bottomed sailing barges known asMersey Flats to Howley Wharf in Warrington and (via theSankey Canal) toSt Helens. Motor barges delivered to riverside factories at Warrington until at least the 1970s, but nowadays onlypleasure craft andyachts use the upper estuary and the tidal river where a number of sailing clubs are based. On most high tides, seagoing yachts with masts raised can navigate as far upstream asFiddlers Ferry – about 3.1 mi (5.0 km) downstream of Warrington – where there is a small marina accessed via a river lock. Although river craft can continue upstream to Howley Weir, there are no landing or mooring facilities. Before construction of the ship canal, a lock bypassing Howley Weir allowed navigation further upstream via a straight "cut" avoiding a meander around Woolston.
The Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service manages local nature reserves such asChorlton Ees andSale Water Park recreational sites and provides an educational service along the Mersey from Manchester to the Manchester Ship Canal.[43]
It is possible to canoe on parts of the river between Stockport and Carrington.[44] Liverpool Sailing Club located at Garston Coastal Park on the north bank of the estuary has a 1000 feet slipway giving access to river for water sports.[45]
The wooded suburban stretch of the river from above Howley Weir to Woolston is also used for recreational and competitive rowing, operated from the Warrington Rowing Club.[citation needed]
Angling has become popular on some stretches of the river as fish such asperch,barbel,grayling,carp,roach,chub,trout,pike,bream anddace have been caught.Warrington Anglers Association have fishing rights on a large stretch of the River through most of Warrington. Prince Albert Angling Society also have a small stretch near Rixton.[citation needed]
The river has also faced problems regarding the poaching of fish despite a strict 'catch and release' policy imposed on anglers for ecological reasons which applies to most UK waterways.[46]
The Mersey River Festival, rebranded in 2018 as ‘River Festival Liverpool’, was an annual event held on the river Mersey during a weekend in May or June between 1981 and 2019 to celebrate Liverpool's maritime tradition. Originally organised by theMerseyside Development Corporation, the festival was later overseen byLiverpool City Council and Culture Liverpool. The last event was planned to take place between the 8 and 10 May 2020, but was cancelled due toCOVID.[47] As of 2024, the event has not returned.
During the 1990s the festival was the largest event if its kind in Europe.[48] In the 2010s the event attracted tens of thousands of people and included music stages and other waterside attractions alongside regattas, visiting vessels, and tall ships on the river.[49]
Notable musical artists who have performed at the event includeKatie Melua,Shola Ama andRussell Watson.[50][51] Captain David Hawker was the Mersey River Festival's official artist from the late 1990s until the last event in 2019.[52] The painter attended annually to capture on paper the boats, attractions, visitors, and events as they unfolded.[53]
Proposals continue for the construction of theMersey Barrage, atidal scheme to generate electricity and create another crossing of the river.[54] Very high spring tides can generate atidal bore fromHale as far upstream as Warrington. On 7 December 2022, theLiverpool City Region mayor announced cooperation between the City Region andK-water ofSouth Korea, who built and operates theSihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, in order to construct a similar operation on the River Mersey.[55]
The river gave its name toMerseybeat, developed by bands from Liverpool, notablythe Beatles. In 1965 it was the subject of the top-ten hit single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" byGerry and the Pacemakers, and amusical film of the same name. TheLiverpool poets published an anthology of their work,The Mersey Sound, in 1967.
The river's stretch through Manchester is the main theme in theStone Roses song "Mersey Paradise", included on the B-side of the 12" version of their 1989 hit "She Bangs the Drums", and on their 1992 compilation albumTurns into Stone.
TheTall ships' fleet has visited the Mersey on four occasions, first in 1984, then in 1992, 2008 and 2012.[56][57]
The traditional song "Leaving of Liverpool" mentions the river in its opening line.[58]
The Mersey is considered sacred byBritish Hindus, and worshipped in a similar way to theRiver Ganges.Festival of Immersion ceremonies are held annually on the river, in which clay figures representing the HinduLord Ganesha, the elephant deity riding a mouse, are submerged in the river from a ferry boat. Followers throw flowers, pictures and coins into the river.[59][60]
From its lowest point, moving upstream, confluences andtributaries of the Mersey catchment include:
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