Lion Salt Works.

The Lion Salt Works dates back to 1872 when the Thompson familey opened there first Salt mine, in the UK there are very few places where rock salt is capable of being extracted.

The Cheshire salt beds are 150 feet below the surface and provide a barrier to the ground water, which is dissolved as the water runs over it to form brine. These brine springs were exploited as a natural resource by local people 2,000 years ago.

The rock salt strata was discovered in 1670 whilst prospecting for coal on the Marbury Estate, 2 miles from where the Lion Salt Works was constructed.

By 1900 vacuum evaporation was being introduced in the salt industry, cutting fuel and labour costs. Initially the process was unable to make the grades of salt possible by the open pan process. Eventually customers adapted their processes to use the cheaper vacuum salt crystals.

There were also growing concerns about the poor air quality around open pan salt works and subsidence from wild brine pumping led to the closure of most works.

By 1960 The Lion Salt Works was the last open Salt Pan in operation, and finally closed in 1986.

The Salt Works is now one of only three surviving Salt Works left in the world, Vale Royal Council purchased the site to stop it being demolished, it is also a Grade II listed building.

A trust has also been set up in order to raise funds to preserve it and so far have been granted 5 million but they need to raise another 2 million as a matching bid to fully restore the place.

Currently it sits on the banks of the canal dilapadated and literally falling to bits, its amazing its actually still standing as certain parts have rotted straight through and the majority of the roof has caved in.