Lion Salt Works Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lion Salt Works
Lion Salt Works in 2006
Location	Marston, near Northwich, England
OS grid reference	SJ 670 754
Founded	1894
Built for	John Thompson Junior

Listed Building – Grade II
Designated	19 August 1986
Reference no.	1139103, 1160985, 1329875, 1329876

Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

The Lion Salt Works is a special place in Marston, near Northwich, Cheshire, England. It's the very last place in the country where salt was made using a traditional method called open pan salt making. This factory closed in 1986, but now it's a fantastic museum where you can learn all about how salt was made and its importance!

History of Salt Making
Preserving the Lion Salt Works
The Museum Today
See also

History of Salt Making

The Lion Salt Works began in 1894. It was started by John Thompson Junior and his son, Henry Ingram Thompson. Their family had been involved in making salt for a long time. They built their first salt pan in the coal yard of the Red Lion Hotel in Marston.

The Thompson Family and Salt

Six generations of the Thompson family worked in the salt business at the Lion Salt Works site.

Early Salt Business

John Thompson Senior (1799–1867) was first a joiner and timber merchant. He also owned a brickyard. In 1842, he joined the salt trade. He started a shipping business along the River Weaver. This business carried salt to ports in Liverpool and Birkenhead.

By 1846, he partnered with his son, John Thompson Junior (1824–1899). Their company was called Thompson and Son. They also had a timber yard and docks in Northwich.

Expanding the Salt Business

The Thompsons started digging salt mines and building salt factories. In 1843, John Thompson dug the Platt’s Hill Mine in Wincham. In 1846, they opened the Dunkirk Works. Over the next 40 years, they built more salt works and mines. These were in areas like Witton, Marston, Wincham, and Winsford.

When John Thompson Senior died in 1867, the business was split. John Thompson Junior continued the salt business with his sons, Henry Ingram (1851–1937) and Alfred Jabez (1857–1965). In 1888, most of their business was sold to a big company called the Salt Union.

Starting the Lion Salt Works

After selling the family business, John Thompson Junior retired. But his sons soon got back into salt making. Henry Ingram Thompson started the Lion Salt Works in Marston. His brother, Alfred Jabez Thompson, ran a rival salt works nearby.

Henry Ingram's sons, Jack (1875–1966) and Alan Kinsey (1883–1964), joined him at the Lion Salt Works. After Henry Ingram died in 1937, his sons ran the business together. Alan Kinsey's son, Henry Lloyd Thompson (1925–2013), joined in 1947. Jack Thompson's grandson, Jonathan, joined in 1962. They ran the Lion Salt Works until it closed in 1986.

Building the Lion Salt Works

The Lion Salt Works was built in 1894. John Thompson Junior and Henry Ingram Thompson bought the land where the Red Lion Hotel stood. Henry Ingram Thompson dug a special well for brine (salty water). He also built a brine tank and an engine house. The first salt pan and stove house (number 1) were built around the old hotel.

By 1899, the Red Lion Hotel was taken down. Two cottages were turned into the Red Lion Inn. This made space for two more pan and stove houses (numbers 2 and 3). There were also special pans for making butter salt and fishery salt. A manager's house and a workshop (smithy) were also built. By 1906, a small railway was added to move salt around the site.

The salt works sent salt to Canada, North America, and West Africa. In England, salt was sold in Cheshire, Manchester, and Liverpool.

Changes Over Time

Between the two World Wars, the salt works didn't change much. They started selling salt to Denmark for curing bacon. However, World War II stopped these sales.

In 1937, Henry Ingram Thompson passed away. His sons, Jack and Alan Kinsey Thompson, took over. They dug a new brine well and installed a new pump.

Henry Lloyd Thompson joined the company in 1947 after serving in the Royal Navy. He managed the salt works for the next 40 years. He built two more pans and stove houses (numbers 4 and 5) in 1954 and 1965.

Salt for West Africa

In the 1950s, most of the salt (90%) was sent to West Africa. It went to countries like Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The West African market loved this salt, even though it was more expensive. It was called 'Lagos Salt' because it was light and flaky. This type of salt was perfect for the hot and humid weather there.

Henry Lloyd Thompson's cousin, Jonathan, joined the business in the early 1960s. They tried new ideas to make the salt works more modern. They even opened the Lion Salt Works as a working museum between 1980 and 1986.

Why the Works Closed

During the 1900s, new and cheaper ways to make salt were invented. By the late 1960s, the Lion Salt Works was the only place in the country still using the old open pan method.

The business closed in 1986 because the West African markets started to shrink. This was due to events like the Biafran War in Nigeria (1967–1970) and later military governments. Also, cheaper salt from Brazil became available. Because of these challenges, Henry Lloyd and Jonathan Thompson closed the Lion Salt Works in 1986.

Preserving the Lion Salt Works

A van used to transport salt from the works.

After the works closed, the local council bought the buildings. They wanted to save them from being torn down. In 1993, a group called the Lion Salt Works Trust was formed. It's a charity dedicated to protecting the site.

Surveys in 2000 showed the land was safe. Over the next few years, money was raised from different groups. This money helped to study the site and plan its restoration. In 2005, they applied for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. In 2008, they received a large award of £4.96 million for the restoration project.

In 2004, the Lion Salt Works was featured on the BBC show Restoration. The buildings are very important, so they are listed as Grade II listed buildings. This means they are protected. The site is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It's even recognized as an important site on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

In 2009, Cheshire West and Chester Council took ownership of the site. After a big restoration project costing £10.2 million, the site reopened on June 5, 2015. It is now a new heritage visitor attraction. The restoration project won awards, including the AABC Conservation award in 2016. In August 2016, it was named the best UK Heritage Project by the National Lottery.

The Museum Today

The Lion Salt Works has been beautifully restored and is now a museum and visitor attraction. Inside the restored buildings, you can explore galleries that show how the salt works operated. You'll also learn about how salt affected the economy and landscape of mid-Cheshire.

You can see the rebuilt stove house with its salt pan still in place. There's also the smithy (workshop), the engine house, a brine tank, and the old rail tracks. The museum also has a café, a place for conferences, and a play area for kids. It's a great place to learn about history and have fun!

Lion Salt Works facts for kids

Contents