Lion Salt Works

About the museum

Salt has been made in Cheshire for more than 2,000 years, since Roman times. By the late nineteenth century open-pan salt works around Northwich were drawing brine pumped from the ground, and many were controlled by the Salt Union. The Lion Salt Works was founded in 1894 by Henry Ingram Thompson, a member of a family that had been in the salt trade for decades, and the site produced salt for almost a hundred years. The loss of the West African market during the Nigerian Civil War contributed to its decline, and the works closed in June 1986.

The site, beside the Trent and Mersey Canal, was later protected and restored. A project costing about £10.23 million reopened it in June 2015 as a museum, and it won several conservation and heritage awards in the following years. It is described as the country's last open-pan salt making site.

Visitors walk through restored buildings including the pan houses and stove houses, with displays on how brine was boiled to make salt, the Thompson family, the lives of the workers, the geology of the area and the wildlife of salt-related habitats. The Red Lion Inn contains a timeline of salt production in Cheshire and a recreation of the managers' office and the pub.

Highlights

• Last open-pan salt making site in the country, according to the museum
• Restored pan houses and stove houses with an original salt pan
• Audio and video presentation in Pan House 3 on boiling brine
• Red Lion Inn with recreated managers' office and pub
• Location beside the Trent and Mersey Canal

Permanent exhibitions

• Salt works site and galleries – Restored pan houses and stove houses show the production of salt from brine, the Thompson family, the working lives of the staff and the history of the site up to its closure in 1986.
• Landscape and wildlife of the salt works – Stove House 2 explores the changing landscape around the works, salt-related habitats and their wildlife.

Founded

2015

Operated by

West Cheshire Museums (Cheshire West and Chester Council)

Admission & discounts

Prices are as listed on the museum's visit page; temporary discounts on adult and concession tickets have been offered in summer.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum describes the site as fully accessible, with designated disabled parking bays, accessible toilets, lifts to the first floor levels and a hearing induction loop. Assistance dogs are welcome in all public areas. The historic buildings have uneven floors, low head heights and barrier webbing. A full access report is available on the DisabledGo website.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Children's admission is free. Little Lions sessions for pre-schoolers run on Fridays in term time, and most family craft activities in the school holidays are free. There is a play area and butterfly garden. Toilets with baby change facilities are on the ground floor off the café and upstairs, and the whole site is accessible for prams.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the B5075 (Ollershaw Lane), about a mile from Northwich town centre, and is signposted with brown signs. It is on two Sustrans cycle routes, and canal boats can moor beside the site.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The café in the visitor centre serves hot and cold drinks, cakes and light snacks, and takes cash and cards; dogs on leads are welcome in a designated area. The gift shop is in the same building. The whole site is non-smoking.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The Thompson suite on the top floor of Stove House 5 is available for meetings, conferences and social functions for half or a full day. Tea and coffee can be provided; there is no full catering on site.

Plan your visit