Museum Open Weekend
Built by the famous industrial engineer, Thomas Telford, with advice from William Jessop, the docks at Ellesmere Port were still in use as late as the 1950s. They were a marvellously self-contained world and when you visit the museum today you can still walk round its locks, docks and warehouses and visit its forge, stables and workers' cottages.
Oldest street
The museum is home to one of the oldest streets in Ellesmere Port, Porter's Row, built in 1833. As part of the works, four workers' cottages on the Row that depict life in the 1840s, 1900s, 1930s and 1950s, are being re-decorated, as well as their roofs, chimneys and gutters getting an overhaul. Other works at the museum will include the restoration of the Port's historic ‘accumulator' tower which was part of the plant used to power the cranes and capstans around the docks by means of hydraulic water pressure.
As part of the open weekend the museum's archivists are looking for anyone with ancestors who may have lived in Porter's Row, or worked at Ellesmere Port before the museum was developed, to come forward and record their recollections of their families' involvement with the area.
Keen to hear
They are also keen to hear from anyone who knows of someone who worked at the Mersey Iron Works at the Port, and in particular from those families whose lost loved ones in the First World War. All of these memories will be recorded as part of the museum's responsibility to record and archive the nation's waterway heritage.
"We're really pleased to be able to invest in the museum so future generations can continue to enjoy our waterway heritage. Over the weekend our guides will be taking visitors on special tours explaining the Port from the arrival of the canal in 1795 to the development of the various buildings in the 1800's, as well as describing the works that are set to take place at the museum."
"There will be experts on hand to explain the techniques we will be using to carry out some of the renovations and our archivists are very keen to record the memories of anyone who has an insight into the past of some of the previous residents and workers here at Ellesmere Port."
All facilities open
All the usual facilities within the museum will be open for everyone to enjoy including free guided tours, ghost tours and the brand new soft play area for the up to five years olds. Also, as an event special attraction, there will be free boat trips on a first-come, first-served basis.
The event is being held at the museum between 10.00am and 4.00pm.