Three strange river crossings

Over the Manchester Ship Canal, you'll find the Hulmes Ferry, the Thelwall Ferry, and the Warburton Toll Bridge. They're all strange in their own way, all under the control of one company, and all dating back to old laws and legal documents from a hundred years ago. I was in the area, so I stopped by, and found that things might be changing soon.

REFERENCES:
Manchester Ship Canal Act (1885)
Rixton and Warburton Bridge Act (1863)
(NOTE: it looks like permission for the toll bridge was set up by the 1863 Act, but that was a different bridge over the River Mersey, and the laws and permissions were transferred over to the Ship Canal when they needed a bigger bridge and it is a complete mess of legal wrangling. As it doesn't affect the final story, I quietly elided that whole section because it was far too dull!)

Other references:

And thanks in particular to Stuart at the Hulmes Ferry for friendly conversation when I arrived!

(you can find contact details and social links there too)

[TomScottGo]

As always, the references I used for the video are in the description! I'm worried that I've messed up some minor point of law — and I did gloss over some nuance, you can see that in the description — but I'm as sure as I can be.

[mdwyerfoo]

I just want to reiterate Tom's message about "use it or lose it" and the log book. If you visit a quirky place that has a guestbook, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE sign it. That is often what these tiny organizations will use to justify their continued existence to their investors.

[hats]

For anyone curious, the "two shillings and a sixpence" original toll amounts to 1/8 of a pound, which is why following decimalisation the toll changed to 12p and has stayed as such since.

At the 5p bridge near Oxford I saw a guy hand over £20 note and ask to pay for the next 400 cars. Tollkeeper just said "no change" and charged the next car 5p again 😂

[duomaxwell]

"Water Level to low" code for he's at the pub refilling his water level

[Alex-cwrz]

He's not wrong about Peel group, they own tons of land and property in greater Manchester and beyond too, it's like they are trying to create their own little kingdom in the North West of England

[Archgeek]

I freaking love the pricing for the Thelwall ferry. Passengers: 1/2p. Dogs: 1/2p. Doesn't give a price for cats or ferrets, oddly.

[peterh]

Live near the Warburton bridge myself, 12 or 25p for the day. They want to rise it to £1 but people are proper mad about it. Problem is, the 12p only pays for painting and staff as well as other minor repairs, £1 is thought within the next 20 years or so to be able to pay for a brand new bridge. The one currently is said to be structurally sound but is slowly decaying. Its a strange situation. Its an incredibly well used bridge as it connects west manchester to warrington, its quite convenient. Great video, its a terrific local quirk.

[TechToWatch]

“Whenever required…” the ferry services were imposed as alternative to bridges that had to be removed to make way for the canal. Therefore the purpose of the ferries is to provide a way to cross the canal as with the bridges which were useable 24/7. So that would favour the “whenever somebody needs to cross the canal” interpretation and require a 24 hour permanent service. Of course, a corporate lawyer working for a company with an interest to provide the minimal possible service it can get away with might see things differently.

[paulshuttleworth]

Get in quick! These are going to bombarded with Tom Scott tourists soon. I’m sure the rowing one is going to be getting very tired.

[TheR]

Now I finally understand what anarchy in the UK is! Abiding by centuries-old laws to slightly inconvenience multi-billion dollar companies.

[nicgreaves]

2 shillings and sixpence: a shilling is 1/20 of a pound (in new money that would be 5 pence, 10 for the pair), and a six pence is 0.025 of a pound (new money 2.5 pence) for a total of 12.5 pence. I'm impressed they kept all the relative values intact through decimalisation.

[geoffwynne]

Ah yes. You'll have difficulty getting Peel Holdings, for an interview. They own most of the land flanking the Manchester Ship Canal area. And a massive number of homes built within a few miles, over the last 40 years are 'leasehold'. Meaning a huge number of people in the most populated parts of the North West have to pay Peel Holdings, every year, to live in a property that they thought they had bought!
The notion that Peel Holdings / Peel Group, would have so "save up" for a new bridge at Warburton is absurd. The company is owned by a reclusive billionaire, who lives in a tax haven (IOM). The Manchester Ship Canal is in a shocking state of dis-repair. The company only appears to spend money on it, when it absolutely has to. Preferring to just rake in the cash from the surrounding land. They built & owned the Trafford Centre, until a record breaking sale, a couple of years ago. I guess they also earn a few quid, from their Media City development in Salford. Where they now lovingly provide a home for the UK's biggest television / media corporations. What could possibly be in it for them???
The local councils etc aren't able to do anything about any of this though, because Peel own more of the North West, and have more money, than the government do.
Yet they will still ask any motorist. Even someone on a motorbike (unlike any other "toll" system). To stop. Take off gloves etc, and rummage round in pockets, just so they can have another 12 pence in the bank!

[hismigj]

Maybe "water levels too low" is code for "ferryman at his day job for money required to live."

[pureradio]

So weird seeing Tom so close to home! Never thought anyone else would take notice of that old 12p Toll road, there’s a bit of confusion around it. Most people believe it collects toll for a bridge a few hundred meters from it, when in fact it actually collects toll for a completely unnoticeable tiny bridge that it sits right next to!

[nickforsythandkids]

I live by these crossings. I’ve taken my kids across the hulmes ferry. He’s a very nice bloke. But the toll bridge is always a nightmare. Someone set fire to the toll booth a couple of years ago it is that hated.

[jonray]

You're a preserver of history, in many senses. England, and the world, owe you a debt of gratitude. Thanks for the content, Tom :)

[lewismassie]

So many of those weird idiosyncrasies in British law boil down to "it would take more effort to remove this and also it doesn't bother anyone anyway"

[JDsVarietyChannel]

Oh Tom, did you really have to give that multi-billion dollar company an extra 8p?

[maurice_walker]

4:12 A 67% tip? Ridiculous! It seems Tom is living large...