Spike Island canal marina in summer at very low water, Widnes, Halton, Cheshire, England, UK, WA8 0QR

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. Spike Island was at the centre of the British chemical industry during the industrial revolution. 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. History Drawing of the island in 1875 View of the Sankey Canal from Spike island circa 1900 Spike Island is an artificial island created in 1833 when the Sankey Canal was extended from Fiddler's Ferry to the River Mersey at Widnes. The extension separated a section of Widnes previously called Woodend from the remainder of the town.[1] The canal passes from the West Bank Locks on Spike Island to Warrington and then into St. Helens town centre. The canal fell into disuse and closed in 1963. The canal footpath now forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail. Widnes Dock, built in 1833, was the first rail-to-ship dock in the world. Uniquely the dock allowed goods, such as coal, to be taken off a train and deposited directly into a boat for transport along the River Mersey to other parts of the UK and abroad. Goods and raw materials could also be brought in by boat and deposited directly onto a train for onward travel to local factories. The dock was topped up with water from the nearby reservoir to prevent its level becoming too low when the River Mersey was at low tide.