Cuddington Brunner Mond ICI chemicals boat , ex- Weaver packet built 1948, in Northwich, Cheshire, here at Ellesmere Port, England, UK

ICI River Trade When Ludwig Mond and John Brunner established their chemical works at Winnington in 1873, a new chapter in both the history of Northwich and the River Navigation was about to be written. The company grew steadily over the next 50 years and in 1924 acquired the Magadi Soda Company of Kenya. In 1926, Brunner Mond merged with three other British chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), a venture that grew to become one of the world's largest and most successful companies. In 1991 Brunner Mond was re-created as an independent company by the acquisition of the UK and Kenyan soda ash businesses from ICI. This Chapter of history continues to this day and the chemical empire is now owned by Tata Chemicals Europe. ICI’s works at Winnington, on the River Weaver, receives its limestone by rail from Derbyshire but for many years used coasters to export its finished product. Sadly, commercial traffic - thanks to the articulated lorry - has now left the Weaver Navigation