page_title: Spike Island, Widnes
section_title: Facilities
hierarchical_section_title: Spike Island, Widnes / Facilities
caption_attribution_description: English: The Catalyst Museum of the Chemical Industry, Widnes, viewed from the front, with childrens' adventure playground (of chemical theme) in front.
context_page_description: Spike Island is a park in Widnes, Halton, North-West England. It is an artificial island between the Sankey Canal and the estuary of the River Mersey containing parkland, woodland, wetlands and footpaths. It is next to the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, an interactive science and technology museum.
  In 1833, Widnes Dock, the world's first rail-to-ship dock, was built on the island. In 1848, John Hutchinson built the first chemical factory in Widnes on the island. The chemical industry in Widnes grew rapidly thereafter. By the 1970s no working chemical factories remained, and from 1975 onwards the island was cleaned up and turned over to public recreation.
  A famous concert by The Stone Roses, subsequently the subject of an eponymous film, took place on the island in May 1990.
context_section_description: The island is maintained by Halton Borough Council, who describe the island as "Open parkland with items of industrial archaeological interest and a canal". There are footpaths, canal walks, cycle paths, woodland, wetlands, views of the River Mersey, views of the Mersey Gateway Bridge, birdlife, fishing, industrial heritage, picnic tables, car parking, a multi-purpose sports pitch, a children's play area and the Trans Pennine Trail passes through the parkland.
  Mersey riverboats are moored in the Sankey Canal. The canal, although in water, is not navigable past the island because footbridges form an obstruction. Halton Borough Council has the long-term aim of restoring the canal to use by watercraft and has committed to building a new swing bridge on the island and re-opening the slipway between the canal and Mersey. The council has also committed to finding an alternative water supply for the canal which has lost water formerly supplied by the now-closed Fiddlers Ferry Power Station.
  The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre is a museum dedicated to science and in particular chemistry. It is next to the island and charts the history of Widnes and Spike Island, offering hands-on displays, static displays and live science lectures. There are 80 interactive exhibits and re-constructed scenes bringing science, maths, engineering and technology to life. Two teaching spaces host a range of workshops and there is a café. There is an observatory on the top floor accessed via a glass-walled lift. The observatory offers panoramic views of the river, Widnes and the Mersey Gateway Bridge, which was opened in 2017.
caption: The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre at Spike Island
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