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Finally made it across to the Irlam bank yesterday. The repair work was to the landing stage on that bank.
The ferryman gave us a brief cruise, heading downstream towards Irlam Locks and some swans' nests before turning back to the Irlam landing stage.
On arrival there are effectively three paths you can take and we explored all three. Straight on takes you to what was the club house for Boysnope Park Golf Club. This closed in 2018 but the club house has re-opened as "The Clubhouse", a cafe, bar and restaurant. At the moment it's only open in the daytime, and not at all on Mondays, but it's a nice place to get anything from a meal to a cup of tea. The A57 runs past The Clubhouse.
The left path takes you over a concrete bridge which used to carry the Ship Canal Railway line over the inlet to Boysnope Wharf. From there you can continue through woodland and past the Irlam recycling centre before meeting the A57. You can probably go right through to Irlam Locks, but we didn't.
The right path takes you through much thicker woodland and brambles before you reach a flooded bit where a stream seems to cross the path. From there it should be possible to reach a farm track leading up to the A57 and Barton Airfield. But we turned back.
The ferryman told us that he is planning to sell tea, coffee and snacks at the Davyhulme landing stage, not just catering for ferry passengers but also for anyone visiting the Millennium Nature Reserve.
I've asked for times and days of operation. They are: "every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 12pm till 5pm." The ferry will close down for the winter but they haven't yet decided when "winter" begins. I suppose we'll know if the Canal freezes over....
The ferry is now operating.Used it this afternoon from davyhulme to irlam and return with a bike.
Another flurry of e-mails to/from Bilway:
"Thank you for your enquiry, there has been a delay in the Ferry resuming service due to maintenance work running over.
"Unfortunately during lockdown the ferry and its jetty had been subject to vandalism, this resulted in it being unsafe for the general public.
"The public’s safety is our absolute priority and we aim to ensure all works are carried out and completed in the next few weeks."
(So just in time for the winter shutdown...)
Despite my optimistic posts, the ferry is Still Not Operating. The tale is that "Peel were not happy with the work carried out on the berth and have now put the opening date back".
Saturday 22nd, I should have said.
The ferry is re-opening tomorrow (Saturday 21st), according to Bilway. I may yet get to try it myself, if the weather's fit.
That was my experience too when I visited a couple of weeks ago. All I can suggest is that you contact Bilway: http://www.bilway.co.uk/. Or Peel. Bilway just operate the ferry when Peel tell them to.
Following the recent heavy rain, the approach to Hulmes Ferry was washed out. It has now been repaired with a tarmac path edged with concrete stones, but if you go down to the ferry itself, it has a big steel padlocked gate preventing access. Googling only shows information at least a year out of date. Does anybody know anything about it? It seems a bit daft to go to all that trouble and then not publicise details of when it operates, if it does at all.
There is simply no information, so you couldn't just turn up and rely on it being operational. It is about as useful as a chocolate teapot as things stand. Hopefully, someone will be able to throw some light on this.
An update to the update:
"Just an update on Hulmes Ferry. It looks like Peel are not going to complete the necessary work that is need to re-open until next week so we have been told not to reopen the Ferry until next Saturday 22nd August. Sorry for any inconvenience but its out of our hands."
(from Bilsway, the operators)
Update: the ferry is not currently operating but the people who run it, Bilway Ltd, tell me it will start up again on Saturday 15th August.
Hi All
Just a quick note to say the Ferry is running again, Fri - Mon 1200 - 1730. It's seen a great uptake in the last couple of weekends but this is a FREE service so do please come on round and take a more leisurely trip across the canal than battling the M60 High level bridge!
More info here:
http://www.hulmesferry.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/hulmesferry/
https://twitter.com/HulmesFerry
AND, we can now take push bikes across! (at the discretion of the ferry person)Just a heads up on the Ferry restarting, dates & times as below. Remember, this is a free service, use it or lose it!
Now with a larger vessel to carry more passegers and bicycles as well.
29th april till the 12th September
Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. 12:00 – 5:30pm
16th September till the
6th NovemberFri, Sat, Sun. 12:00 – 4:00pm
They may need a bigger boat when ikea opens. All those flat packs.
Just pitching this subject up again. The ferry has finished for the 2015 season but will restart again at the end of April 2016.
Probably due to the lack of publicity, many people do not know this service still exists, especially at this time of year when it does not run, people often assume it has closed altogether.
With support, this could be an excellent route for walks and even people visiting Salford Reds / AJ Bell Stadium or visting friends in Irlam & Cadishead. Or vice versa for those on the other side of the cut!
It is hoped it will return with a bigger vessel next year, more suitable to the needs and able to carry more passengers.
We have started some online social media sites in the hope of gaining support & publicity, please do take the time to have a look and share them:
http://www.hulmesferry.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/hulmesferry/
https://twitter.com/HulmesFerry
This service is provided by an article in the Manchester Ship Canal Act, basically, the Manchester Ship Canal Company have to provide this ferry in lieu of the bridge that used to be there.
However, with a decline in use comes the decline in services, With the lack of publicity come the decline in use.
Catch 22!
But this service could be so much more with a little support and some publicity. When the season re-starts in April, please think about having a walk round the Millenium Nature reserve at Davyhulme and a trip across the canal. It's FREE!
So why not?
And it can give a very different perspective on the canal.
Just to let everyone know the free hulmes bridge ferry service is still running and now has its own website - http://www.hulmesferry.uk
Due to lack of publicity in the past, lots of people still do not realize that its there or due to intermitent service do not realize it has restarted and is ongoing. Lack of publicity has lead to low numbers using the service it has been reduced to seasonal/part time/weekend operation which doesn't really adequatelly replace a footbridge.
However it is still running and is picking up. I made 130+ crossings during the Manchester Airshow day with more publicity in the pipeline I am hoping more will use it so we can provide a bigger, better service.
Taking up the point of the boat being too small and unstable. The ship canal company has already noted this but as yet have not supplied a larger boat. A larger boat will be essential in the future and for events such as the airshow where the dingy barely coped with the large volume of people.
The Ferry service is also now featured on independant twitter and facebook accounts.
All ferry crossings are logged to provide feedback of the demand to the Manchester Ship Canal Company so the more people use it the better.
Salford Council’s Rights of Way department is working on ways to get the footpaths that lead to and from the ferry at Boysnope Wharf restored to good order with proper signs and waymarkings and in getting the unauthorised diversion of the footpath that leads to the new Salford Stadium sorted out and at least put on an official, monitor-able basis.
The new owner of the scrap yard near the Boysnope Wharf,(scrap yard is now called a Metals Reprocessing Works) is very helpful and willing to help with improving the condition of the footpath that runs at the side of his fencing. That fencing is being replaced even as i type and also security lighting installed in a manner that will illuminate the footpath a bit. All very helpful and much appreciated. On the Flixton side, the public path leading to the ferry has been waymarked by Trafford Council near the old ferryman’s cottage.
If you can encourage use of the ferry during October please do so – a decision as to whether to operate the ferry throughout the winter will be taken based on October passenger numbers. Every journey counts!
Ferry hours in October are:
Fridays 10:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 15:00
Saturdays 10:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 16:00.
in November
Fridays 10:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 15:00
Please forward this email as widely as you can.
Kind regards,
June Mabon
