Transport

The region can boast a whole roster of transport achievement and world firsts spanning over 200 years.

Try these for size. The first totally artificial waterway of the industrial age, the largest civil engineering project of the nineteenth century, a pioneering dock (now the largest clump of grade 1 listed buildings in the country) and the first railway station in the world. In other words, the Bridgewater Canal, Albert Dock, Liverpool and the Liverpool Road Station at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

Transport needed to deliver – literally, as an antiquated infrastructure couldn’t cope with the explosion in trade. It continues today by providing us with memorable sights and sites, many of which are gaining a new lease of life as fascintaing attractions. Transporting the world looks at some of the most spectacular as well as some significant but transport landmarks - the ports, the canals, bridges, viaducts and the rail network (we still use today!).

A delve into the region’s transport heritage, takes in a journey by boat, train, tram and road. From a trip on a Windermere steam boat, train rides at the East Lancashire Railway to the Birkenhead Tramway and the Northwest Museum of Road Transport, it’s a fascinating journey. There’s also The Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port, Ribble Steam Railway, Anderton Boat Lift and The Merseyside Maritime Museum to discover. En route don’t miss the stunning waterfront redevelopments of Liverpool’s Albert Docks and The Quays at Salford and Trafford.