HERITAGE STEAM FESTIVAL WEEKEND AT CHESHIRE’S AWARD-WINNING LION SALT WORKS MUSEUM

Cheshire’s Lion Salt Works Museum’s is hosting a free Heritage Steam Festival on Saturday 24 July and Sunday 25 July.

The multi award-winning industrial heritage museum, one of the foremost in the country, is located in Northwich, Cheshire. The weekend of free family fun will include up to three large steam traction engines and 13 miniature steam engines. There will also be a selection of other vintage commercial vehicles on display. The Steam Festival is free and is not dependent on visiting the Museum.  

To ensure visitors feel safe when attending the advice is to: 

• Carry out and have a negative Lateral Flow Test 24h prior to attending the event 
• That people should do a symptoms check prior to leaving home. 
• That people consider their own measures prior to attending which could include face masks inside and some social distancing in busy areas. 
• Visitors are also encouraged to download and log their Covid status on the NHS app 

There is no charge to visit the café, play area or butterfly garden, which is in full bloom. Children’s activities will also be available and there will be ‘live music’ at the Salt Barge pub across the road from the Museum. This action-packed festival will run from 11am – 4.30pm. For more information, visit www.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk or call 01606 275066. 

Children will be able to ride on some of the mini traction engines at a cost of £1 per child. These engines come courtesy of Clive Hearsay and other local steam enthusiasts.   

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “This event is always a highlight of the Lion Salt Works Museum’s calendar. With the sounds of the engines, the smell of the smoke and the bursts of steam, the Museum is the perfect backdrop for these extraordinary steam engines. We are very grateful, as always to Northwich-based Clive Hearsey for co-ordinating the magnificent array of steam traction engines, most of which will be fully steamed up over the weekend. This is a marvellous and memorable event and I hope that as many people as possible are able to come along and enjoy it.”  

The Lion Salt Works Museum is one of the foremost industrial heritage sites in the UK. It is one of the last open-pan, salt-making sites in the World and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It tells the story of salt through fun, interactive displays and has won nine awards since opening in June 2015, after a four-year £10m refurbishment, including the National Lottery’s ‘Best Heritage Project 2016’. The restoration by Cheshire West and Chester Council was made possible thanks to a £5 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

Pictured -  ‘Hearsey & Daughters’ Traction Engine outside the entrance to the Lion Salt Works Museum.