Runcorn sailmakers loft

[nebulae]

Does anybody remember the sailmakers loft near Top Locks in Runcorn. I am sure I took a sail in there about 50years ago for repair. It was a proper loft with a door that self closed by hanging a huge shackle on a piece of string. The loft had obviously been there for a long time,  Was this a place where sails were made and repaired for the sailing flats?  If so surprising it had survived. When was the last sail made or repaired for a sailing flat? I also remember an ornate cast iron urinal nearby. Handy for boatmen?

[Pluto]

Sailing flats continued till 1948 carrying sand out of Widnes. There were Irish schooners from Arklow working into Garston, and I can remember the last of them in the early 1960s. Any sail loft at Runcorn must have just been for pleasure boats by the 1970s, and I don't remember it. I do remember the blacksmiths shop on the canalside a few hundred yards from Top Locks, where the smith still shoed horses.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

They could have been making and repairing lorry tarpaulins 

[howardang]

Here is a link to a book about Runcorn which has a section and photos of the yard of Richard Abel - Barge and Tug owners at Runcorn - who were first established at Runcorn Top Lock as  sailmakers and the clip shows that they were on the site shown as late as the 1950's.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Nf_BBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&lpg=PT8&dq=sailmakers+runcorn&source=bl&ots=gRfy7ho-4r&sig=yN5Y6hoJg5ejW2s83N_Vq7hyGnc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWrJP28c_XAhUGWxoKHcv-DXwQ6AEISzAI#v=onepage&q=sailmakers runcorn&f=false

Howard

[nebulae]

Thanks for the replies. It was definately a "loft" aproached by outside steps. Interesting that Abels were listed as sailmakers. No reason to assume that the sail loft was at Castle Rock Boatyard. It could have been the same firm. I suppose lorry tarpaulins and cloths for narrow boats might have kept them going. I took in a sail for a dinghy,which must have been small fry for them. It must have been 1964 or 5 when I visited them. I wish I could remember more detail.