You've seen the best. . .now here's the worst!

WARNING: Contains disturbing images!
If Norbury Junction has, in my experience, the best sanitary station on the network, where then is the worst?
I have to say that my candidate for this dubious honour goes not any British Waterways or Environment Agency facility but to the private sector Bridgewater Canal.
Worsley is a pretty "olde-worlde" village on the outskirts of the city of Salford. The Bridgewater Canal runs through the centre of the village green, flanked by (not very old) "Black and White" houses and an historic dry dock and crossed by an ancient packhorse bridge making it something of a local beauty spot. You'd expect the sanitation arrangements, for boaters and other visitors to be at least as good as those at Norbury: but you'd be wrong!

Entry is through this unmarked door situated at the rear of a derelict public toilet building and fronting onto the towpath,

A corridor leads to the Elsan disposal point - note the lack of anywhere to rest the cassette or a hose to connect the tap to the bowl. Incredibly, that tap is also the sole source of drinking water at the site.

There is also a toilet - situated in a windowless room that has no light fittings whatsoever and can therefore only be used with the door left open! On my visit the floor was half-an-inch deep in water.


I don't think I could give Worsley sanitary station any points at all - it appears to have no redeeming features whatsoever; but if you were thinking of crossing your legs and carrying on to the Bridgewater Canal Company's next sanitary station at Castlefield, don't bother: it's only marginally better than this one.