Stanlow Island once was home to a community of monks and the Manchester Ship Canal Police force
But did you know there's a secret island that's got a fascinating past? Stanlow Island is located just off Ellesmere Port and is a cut off from the mainland by the Manchester Ship Canal. Effectively, this mysterious island is a part of the massive Essar oil refinery complex - secretive and fenced-off to sightseers.
The monks picked the site due to it being isolated and remote, but the Mersey location caused problems due to its windswept nature. In 1287, the great tower fell – and fire tore through the abbey two years later. However, unsurprisingly it was isolating as the island's cut-off from the mainland and you would have to catch a ferry to see friends or attend school. Pat told the ECHO: "We moved there when my dad got promoted to Sergeant on the Manchester Ship Canal. We lived in one of the police houses - there was just four houses."When I moved in it was just exciting really, I didn't know we were going until the day we moved.
"I lived there until I got married. My mum used to come on a Saturday and take the two boys down to stay for the weekend. In 1967, the ECHO wrote that the island had “a total population of 18 people, three tame cats, four tame dogs and an unaccountable number of cats and dogs escaped from ships.” In 2018, the news outlet joined resident Derek Smith there.Another person who has fond memories of their time at Stanlow Island is John Graham. The ECHO managed to track him down thanks to the help of the Ellesmere Port Old and New Facebook community group.
"The ferry was 24 hours a day everyday, every year, in all weathers. The ferryman was the last job I had out there - it was the best job I've ever had in my life. "You had to go to security, security would check you and then you would be escorted by security to the ferryman.What remains of Stanlow Island today
"'Bird counters' as we are known, count all around the UK coastline and waterways as possible on one Sunday a month.
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