An all-day Symposium on the technologies associated with White Salt is being organised by the North West Branch. It will take place at The Lion Salt Works Museum outside Northwich (10 minutes from M6 Junction 19) in Autumn 2018.

Cheshire salt was known to the Celts and the Romans, but the emergence of Cheshire into Britain’s primary salt source was dependent on the development of the local transport infrastructure, including the Weaver Navigation and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Salt extraction in Cheshire continues on a major scale today, both through rock salt mining and through solution mining to provide brine for White Salt production and as feedstock for the local chemical industries.

The Symposium will look firstly at the geology of the Saltscape, the history of subsidence due to ‘wild’ brine pumping and touch on the challenge posed to HS2 as it passes through the salt country. We then have speakers on the historical development of both the production and the transport technologies for White Salt in Cheshire. The day will continue with speakers on the ‘wild brine’ pumping technology used at Lion Salt Works and at Murgatroyd’s in Middlewich. We round off with a speaker on the modern ‘controlled’ solution mining technology developed in the early 20th century at Preesall near Fleetwood and deployed in Cheshire today. The day promises a fascinating insight into some less widely understood technologies.

Tickets for this event can be purchased here (via Eventbrite)