Which English canal, opened in 1894, allows ocean ships to reach Manchester from the Irish Sea?

The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894 and lets ocean-going vessels reach Manchester from the Irish Sea.

The 36-mile canal begins at Eastham on the Mersey Estuary and follows sections of the rivers Mersey and Irwell to Salford Quays. Construction began in 1887 after years of opposition, especially from Liverpool interests, and required more than £15 million and the excavation of over 54 million cubic yards of material. The canal officially opened to traffic on 1 January 1894; Queen Victoria conducted the ceremonial opening later that year.

Its creation transformed Manchester into an inland port. Ships could bypass Liverpool’s port charges and carry raw materials and finished goods directly to the industrial city. The new Port of Manchester became Britain’s third-busiest port, despite being around 40 miles from the coast. The first vessel to unload cargo on opening day was the Pioneer.

The canal is often confused with ordinary inland waterways such as the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Those canals were designed mainly for regional navigation; the Manchester Ship Canal was built to accommodate seagoing ships, though modern container vessels are often too large for it.