Agden Saltworks was established alongside the Bridgewater Canal
in the early years of the century, possibly 1906. It became part of
J Manger Ltd of Stafford, who in turn became part of Amasal.
Amasal was taken over by British Soda in about 1960 and the works
was closed down in about 1962. and the site is now used as Agden
Boatyard.
There are a number of salty sites in this area, more info can be
found at :Cheshire
History:salt
This saltworks and others like it produced white salt.
While the natural energy of the sun can be used to evaporate brine
in hot countries, in the UK, white salt is now produced by
evaporating ‘solution-mined’ brine in pressure vessels.
In solution mining, water is forced under pressure into a bore-hole
drilled into an underground salt bed or dome. The salt is
dissolved, turning the water into brine and creating a cavern in
the salt-bed. The saturated raw brine is then withdrawn and pumped
to the purification plant where calcium, magnesium and other
impurities are removed prior to the evaporation process.
This process if not controlled properly results in Subsidence
occuring throughout the area being mined.