The Industrial Heritage of St Helens, Monthly Talk 18/01/21(Mon)

Although we all eagerly await the time when we can resume our regular gatherings, we wanted Historical Society to happen in some form. In January, long-standing Historical Society member, Maurice Handley, obliged by delivering a talk over Zoom about our town's industrial heritage. The talk was based around a series of slides which in their turn featured photographs of various significant structures around the town.

The Cannington Shaw No 7 Bottle Shop is a witness to St Helens's role as a major glass manufacturing centre. It was famed for the production of "codd bottles" - bottles using a marble as the stopper. Although derelict, the fact that it survives at all is noteworthy. For more information on the Cannington Shaw Bottle Shop, please follow the links below:

https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/48565

https://www.facebook.com/CanningtonShaw/

The Sankey Viaduct. Although only six arches are visible in this shot, it is often known as the Nine Arches. Pylons erected during the electrifcation of the line in 2015 can be seen in this photo. Opened as part of the route of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830, it continues to take trains over the Sankey Canal, the oldest canal in England. More information on the viaduct and the canal can be found at the below links:

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1075927

https://www.sankeycanal.co.uk/

Factory Row, Ravenhead. Houses purpose-built for glass workers, among the oldest such properties in the country.

Pilkingtons Head Office. Still a major feature of the St Helens skyline, although Pilkingtons Glass as an employer is no longer as significant as it once was.

Reflection Court, the previous headquarters of Pilkington Glass before the construction of the existing Head Office (above). Reflection Court is a listed building:

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1283515

The "Hotties" - a section of the Sankey Canal near St Helens town centre, so called because nearby glass works used the water for cooling purposes, a process which heated the water before it returned to the canal. The bridge in the photograph forms part of the World of Glass visitor attraction. For more information on the World of Glass and on the Hotties, please follow the links below:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/restoration/restoration-stories/the-hotties-of-st-helens

http://www.worldofglass.com/

An aerial view of the Hotties and the World of Glass.

We have talks scheduled to be delivered over Zoom for both February and March - watch this space!