The forbidden island in the River Mersey you need special permission to visit
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA mysterious island with a fascinating past lies less than an hour from the centre of Manchester. The now abandoned Stanlow Island lies hidden in the River Mersey.
Located just off Ellesmere Port, Stanlow was effectively made an island when it was cut off from the mainland by the Manchester Ship Canal.
Construction on the 36-mile long Manchester Ship Canal began in 1887 and took six years to complete. The canal, starting at the Mersey Estuary at Eastham, near Ellesmere Port, cuts through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire, linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. The island is now part of the massive Essar oil refinery complex, fenced off to casual sightseers with access to it controlled.
From the 12th to the 17th century, the land housed Stanlow Abbey and its community of monks, and then in modern times became home to officers from the Manchester Ship Canal Police force and their families.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk
