Anderton boat lift visitor centre

Have you visited the Anderton boat lift visitor centre? It’s a great place to explore and there are lots of family walks from here. Read on to find out everything you need to know about visiting especially if you are bringing children along. Find more great Family days out in the North West here.

Where is Anderton Boat lift visitor centre?

The Anderton boat lift visitor centre is just north of Northwich, in the village of Anderton. It’s about 1 mile from Marbury Country Park.

The address is Anderton Boat Lift, Lift Lane, Anderton, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6FW.

The postcode for the visitor centre car park is CW9 6FW. This is a pay-and-display car park. Prices are currently £2 for up to 3 hours (which is enough if you just want to visit the visitor centre) or £3 for all-day parking. These prices are correct as of March 2023.

How much does it cost to visit the Anderton boat visitor centre?

Entry to the Anderton boat lift visitor centre is completely free. It is open on weekends only from 10 am – 4 pm during the winter season. Make sure you check current opening times before you visit. Here is their website to check – Anderton Boat Lift.

What age is the Anderton boat lift visitor centre suitable for?

I think it is suitable for all ages. My own children are 6 and 9 and they enjoyed our visit. There are loads of opportunities for pram-friendly walks from here and the visitor centre is accessible too.

There is a small children’s area within the visitor centre where they can play or colour in at a table whilst you explore the visitor centre (it’s a small open space so you can watch the video or read the information panels and keep them in your sight).

There is a playground suitable for toddlers up to around 10 years too.

How Long do families typically spend at Anderton boat lift?

I’d say expect to spend less than an hour here unless you are visiting the cafe or walking around the area which I’d really recommend.

The visitor centre is only small so you won’t be in there for ages. You can then enter the viewing area and the playground through the visitor centre.

Facilities at Anderton boat lift

There are toilet facilities within the viewing area, right before the playground. They also have toilets in the visitor centre too.

Cafe at Anderton boat lift

There is a cafe within the visitor centre with plenty of indoor seating. There are full-height glass windows, overlooking the boat lift.

There is also a very cute canal boat cafe just before you reach the visitor centre on the banks of the canal. There isn’t any indoor seating as you can imagine from a cafe on a barge but there is some limited outdoor seating. We purchased cakes and hot drinks from here. They were delicious and reasonably priced too.

The visitors centre

The lower level of the visitor centre has a small exhibition where you can learn all about the history of the boat lift and there are some really quirky bits too like vintage arcade machines.

The exhibition includes loads of information on the history of the lift and the local area. There are a few interactive elements and a video too.

For young kids, there is an area to dress up in and a table with crayons and lots of colouring and activity sheets.

The Anderton boat lift playground

There is a small but fantastic for kids play area in the grounds of the visitor centre. You can only access the playground through the visitor centre so please make sure it is open before you visit.

The playground is themed on the boat lift and boats. It includes areas for imaginative play, climbing and slides. My kids love it including the widest slide we have ever seen!

Right opposite the play structure is a small maze that kids can run in and out of. It’s really fun for kids but not particularly big, so you don’t need to worry about losing them in there.

Boat rides at Anderton boat lift

You can enjoy a 1 hour boat trip through the lift and along the River Weaver to Northwich, aboard the Edwin Clark trip boat. This boat trip will run twice daily on the days the Visitor Centre is open at 11am and 1pm

Boat trips will be charged at £15 for adults (aged 16+)  and £10 for Children (aged 5-15). A family ticket is £45 and free for children under 5 but they will still require a ticket which will be provided.

Anderton boat lift walks

As I mentioned there are lots of walks for you to enjoy around the boat lift. There is a small nature trail for kids on the opposite side of the car park if you don’t want to walk far.

You can also walk along the canal to Lion Salt Works. Or follow our walk from Marbury park to Anderton boat lift walk and back again (approximately 3 miles). It’s a lovely walk for kids and there is another fantastic playground in Marbury park too.

You can also walk part or all of the saltscape trail. The full circular trail is 6 miles long but you can complete shorter circular routes too. There is a map in the car park with the route map. Find out more here – Saltscape

Where to next?

Another great place to visit with the family is RHS Bridgewater.

You might also like to visit Alderley Edge

Find loads more Things to do in Cheshire with toddlers here.

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