Winnington Turn Bridge

The Winnington Turn Bridge is a swing bridge and associated control cabin dating from 1908/9, with 20th-century additions, built on the Weaver Navigation. The bridge is constructed of cast steel, painted black and white, and features girders beneath, a single pivot span, and single-lane vehicle access. The pivot is located on the south (Northwich) bank. A later 20th-century pedestrian walkway has been fixed to the western bridge elevation and the north cabin elevation.

The two-storey brick control cabin, with a ground floor and lower ground floor, sits west of the bridge on the south bank, following a reverse ‘L’ shaped plan. It is roofed with slate, featuring ridge tiles and a spear finial atop the north gable. A continuous band of small-pane casement windows runs along the north elevation, continuing around the north-east and north-west corners. A small round-arched window with brick voussoirs sits beneath the eaves on the west elevation, while the south elevation has two doorways flanking a central round-arched window, all with brick voussoirs at the heads. A small brick courtyard adjoins the south elevation. An east doorway has stone steps, while the west doorway has a single stone step and a later 20th-century concrete replacement. Steps descend on the west elevation to the pivot machinery and canal, with all but the top three steps being later replacements.

Constructed in 1908/9, the electrically operated swing bridge replaced an earlier version from 1901 which was deemed inadequate. It is one of the earliest swing bridges in Britain to use electric power, alongside the Town Bridge and Hayhurst Bridge in Northwich. The bridge’s design facilitated increased road carrying capacity, a wider navigable waterway, and supported business expansion within the area’s chemical industry. It also regulated the water level at Northwich.

The Winnington Turn Bridge is notable as an early example of an electrically operated swing bridge, and it holds historical significance for the development of the Weaver Navigation and the growth of the pottery and chemical industries in Winnington and Northwich. The bridge, along with the Town Bridge and Hayhurst Bridge, forms a visually cohesive group along the navigation.