Constructing our Carlisle Ship Canal - 22nd May, 2019



Having learned about the Carlisle Ship Canal, our ships are all ready and waiting to sail along the Canal into Carlisle carrying cotton and coal for the mills. 

Our construction plan


For this session, we moved into the activity room at our school to build our constructed 3D map of the Carlisle Ship Canal. 

First we planned what we needed to build - starting from Port Carlisle following the route of the Canal for over eleven miles into the centre of Carlisle. 

We identified we needed some buildings in Port Carlisle - there were only two at the start of the Canal - going past farms into Burgh then building locks and bridges, the Canal Basin then the industries in Carlisle such as the Mills and Shaddon Mill and Dixon's Chimney. 

Using recycled materials and other basic materials we set about building our canal......






Mill building

Shaddon Mill under construction


Locks under construction



Ship carrying cotton

Ships in Carlisle Basin

Ships travelling through the locks


Carlisle Basin Dixon's Chimney to the right

Ship travelling up the Canal

Our video is an aerial view of our canal from Port Carlisle, past farms and into the Carlisle Basin, surrounded by the mills and factories, in particular Shaddon Mill and Dixon's Chimney on the right.

This traces the final part of the journey of raw cotton from the port of Whitehaven, sailing along the Solway to Port Carlisle, then along the ship canal in Carlisle and then onto the Mills in Carlisle.

Our canal was built in a day!  Well done everyone.

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