Carr Mill Dam
Carr Mill Dam in St.Helens
Carr Mill Dam is situated just off the A580 East Lancashire road, near to Billinge, St.Helens. At 0.22 km2, Carr Mill dam is the largest inland body of water on Merseyside
and was expanded, in the mid 1700s, from being a small mill pond to a large reservoir to hold water to keep the Sankey canal topped up. Carr Mill Dam is used both by
St.Helens Angling Association and the
Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club,
who both hold competitions on the water.
Carr Mill Dam is fed by two streams, the Goyt and the Black Brook, which both enter from the Billinge side of the Dam.
Water skiing also takes place on the Dam, and skiers can be seen on many sunny evenings and weekends.
There are numerous nature trails and footpaths around the dam, as well as a wide variety of wildlife.
The Sankey Valley Country Park, starts from the side of Carr Mill Dam, making Carr Mill an excellent starting place for a full days outing, or to take your dog for a long walk.
There are numerous nature trails and footpaths around the dam, as well as a wide variety of wildlife.
The Sankey Valley Country Park, starts from the side of Carr Mill Dam, making Carr Mill an excellent starting place for a full days outing, or to take your dog for a long walk.
Panorama, below, shows only the back end of Carr Mill Dam, this end is preferred by anglers.
To the rear of this side of the dam are woods,farmland and pathways leading up to Billinge.
Those keen on fishing may be interested to know that there are bream, perch, roach, skimmers, pike, tench, gudgeon, mirror carp, common carp, and eels.
The photo, right, is of two of the many decks placed around the edge of Carr Mill Dam, that are used by anglers.
For more information on fishing at Carr Mill, visit St.Helens Angling Association website here.
To the rear of this side of the dam are woods,farmland and pathways leading up to Billinge.
Those keen on fishing may be interested to know that there are bream, perch, roach, skimmers, pike, tench, gudgeon, mirror carp, common carp, and eels.
The photo, right, is of two of the many decks placed around the edge of Carr Mill Dam, that are used by anglers.
For more information on fishing at Carr Mill, visit St.Helens Angling Association website here.
At the entrance to Carr Mill Dam there is a large car park and a pub and restaurant called The Waterside. The Waterside has a beer garden to the rear with views over the Dam.
The picture to the left is the Clubhouse of the Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club, the clubhouse is licensed to serve alcohol and food and is opened on race days.
See the, New, Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club website, here, for more details
The picture, above right, is of a rest area with a small beach. On hot days you will often find youngsters playing and swimming in the area off the beach.
This Photograph, provided courtesy of Mr Derek Wilson, is from an auction catalogue of the time and shows the pleasure pavilion situated almost directly opposite the water from where the existing boathouse is situated. The remains of the Carr Mill Dam pavilion are still identifiable today.
For a copy of the auction catalogue, please use the link below to download the document in pdf format. If you don’t have adobe reader, it is available at the Adobe website for free download.
Download 1920’s land auction catalogue for Carr Mill Dam and surrounding area, here (3.6 MB)
The picture to the left is the Clubhouse of the Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club, the clubhouse is licensed to serve alcohol and food and is opened on race days.
See the, New, Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club website, here, for more details
The picture, above right, is of a rest area with a small beach. On hot days you will often find youngsters playing and swimming in the area off the beach.
Please do not swim, or allow children to swim in the dam when there are boats on the water.
The video below is the Turner Trophy race (3rd April 2011)
The weather was a little damp. There were not as many racers as usual, probably because this was the first race of the season, but the racers and spectators who were at Carr Mill Dam appeared to be enjoying the day.
The photographs below, were taken on 17th August 2009 during one of the Lancashire Powerboat Racing clubs race days.
Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Photo enlargement requires you browser has javascript enabled.
When the photos are enlarged, you can move from photo to photo by hovering your mouse over the large photo until the next or previous button shows and then click them. Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club also offer an exciting opportunity to try a motor sport with a difference in their Junior Training Boat.
For boys and girls age 9-16, the boat, powered by a 15hp Yamaha outboard engine, travels at about 35 miles per hour. Ideal as a Birthday or Christmas gift or simply as a reward. See the, New, Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club website, here, for more details
For a google map of Carr Mill Dam, click here.
Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Photo enlargement requires you browser has javascript enabled.
When the photos are enlarged, you can move from photo to photo by hovering your mouse over the large photo until the next or previous button shows and then click them. Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club also offer an exciting opportunity to try a motor sport with a difference in their Junior Training Boat.
For boys and girls age 9-16, the boat, powered by a 15hp Yamaha outboard engine, travels at about 35 miles per hour. Ideal as a Birthday or Christmas gift or simply as a reward. See the, New, Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club website, here, for more details
Click on the photographs below to enlarge
More photographs of Carr Mill Dam, in St.Helens, are available here on our Gallery.
For a google map of Carr Mill Dam, click here.
A photo, from around 1920, of the pleasure pavilion on Carr Mill Dam
This Photograph, provided courtesy of Mr Derek Wilson, is from an auction catalogue of the time and shows the pleasure pavilion situated almost directly opposite the water from where the existing boathouse is situated. The remains of the Carr Mill Dam pavilion are still identifiable today.
For a copy of the auction catalogue, please use the link below to download the document in pdf format. If you don’t have adobe reader, it is available at the Adobe website for free download.
Download 1920’s land auction catalogue for Carr Mill Dam and surrounding area, here (3.6 MB)