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12 members of the rambling group undertook a different type of ramble yesterday. Having been informed by the leaders that it was not a ” pretty” ramble we were unsure what to expect, but by the end of the day we were all very impressed by what we saw especially as it was only about 9 miles from home!

Having negotiated the M57, with a delay of about 15 mins as the motorway was reduced to one lane, we arrived at our start point at the Catalyst Museum in Widnes. Originally built around 1860  as the Tower Building, the current Museum was opened in 1987 and is dedicated to the chemical industry, making it the first museum in the world to be focused on this field. However, this was not to be our venue for today. Taking the side roads through terraced streets we marvelled at the sight of the “old” Runcorn Bridge which overshadowed the many houses built in the shadow of the structure. To give it its correct name, the Silver Jubilee Bridge replaced the previous old Widnes Runcorn Transporter Bridge, which in 1905 was Britain’s first and the worlds largest transporter bridge, which was designed to carry traffic over the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship canal, without hindering shipping. As it was a good clear day we were able to get a great view of the underneath of the structure as well as seeing it later in the distance sunlit by the spring sunshine. From here we trod along good footpaths for a mile or so, following the side of the Mersey estuary. Following the route we came across a series of zig zagged wooden steps which crossed over Ditton Brook, and then a more recent edition of a steel bridge which led the way to Pickerings Pasture. This former land fill site has been reclaimed and an excellent wildfowl nature reserve has been created in its place. The reserve  apparently offers great opportunities for bird watching though the only birds on view today were geese and  a couple of oyster catchers. The area is now supported  by a team of the Friends of Pickering Pasture who have built a visitor centre and cafe, though sadly this was closed on our visit. However as every good rambler knows, its always useful to have a flask in the rucksack, so we spent a little time here having a quick snack break. Suitably refreshed we headed across open fields and then doubled back under the bridge until we came to Spike Island. This is an artificial island and public park on the North bank of the river Mersey. Once at the heart of Britain’s chemical trade, it was created in 1833 when the Sankey Canal was extended and separated a section of Widnes form the mainland. Following the decline of the chemical industry it was cleaned up in 1975 and turned over to public recreation. Its main claim to fame is the concert by the Stone Roses which was held here in 1990 when 30,000 fans descended on the area to hear them play. Working our way though the parkland, which judging by the number of people out walking is well used today, we followed the path of the canal and found ourselves under the imposing structure of the relatively new Mersey Gateway bridge. Compared to the previous crossing point this six lane toll bridge, which was opened in 2017, although impressive, somehow lacks the charm of the iron structure of the other river crossing. We then followed along the banks of the Sankey canal, which is now non navigable at this point. Whether it was dammed during the construction of the Mersey Gateway we did not know, but it is now being reclaimed by reeds and appears to be a haven for water fowl. After crossing the local railway at an unmanned crossing we stopped for a quick lunch break before following the route of an old railway track now converted into a pleasant walkway leading us back in the direction of Spike Island marina and our start point at the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre ( to give it its correct title!). So….not our usual ramble, but one that was certainly steeped in history and character. Thanks to Phil and Colin for giving us a great insight into an area which is very close to home whilst we also enjoyed a lovely spring ramble.