A well-known canal-side hotel, once famous on TV for ‘Lager and Crisps’ has been taken over by a sect of Thai Monks.
The large Waterloo Hotel, which overlooks the current head of navigation on the Bridgewater Canal in Runcorn has been acquired by a charity and is now a Theravada Buddhist Temple and Meditation Centre. It is now known as Wat Phra Singh UK, named in honour of the parent temple in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand which celebrated its 666th anniversary in 2011.
The many generations of working boatmen who once drank in its public bar whilst moored at the top of the Runcorn Locks flight might be somewhat surprised by this new use. The largely derelict locks were closed in the 1960’s when the feeder roads leading to the famous Runcorn Suspension Bridge were constructed over the site of the top lock of the flight. However Government backing for a new ‘Mersey Gateway’ bridge a short distance upstream which would take much of the current traffic, has raised hopes that restoration of the locks and the recreation of the link to the River Weaver recreating another ‘Cheshire Ring’, is an achievable aim.
The Waterloo Hotel may also be familiar as the main location of the popular BBC TV comedy series Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps which was aired from 2001 to 2011.
The new temple offers meditation and spiritual reflection to all and accommodation for those seeking spiritual retreats. Visitors are welcome at any time, whether to simply observe, chat with the monks, or to explore what Buddhism has to offer. Details from – tony@watphrasinghuk.uk or see http://www.watphrasinghuk.org/index.html.
Thanks to Harry Arnold and Waterway Images for this report and image.
