Shropshire Union Canal
Encyclopedia
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal
in England
; the Llangollen
and Montgomery
canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union ("SU") system and lie partially in Wales
.
The canal lies in the counties of Staffordshire
, Shropshire
and Cheshire
in the north-west midlands of England. It links the canal system of the West Midlands
, at Wolverhampton
, with the River Mersey
and Manchester Ship Canal
at Ellesmere Port
, Cheshire
, 66 miles (106.2 km) distant.
The "SU main line" runs south east from Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
at Autherley Junction
in Wolverhampton. Other links are to the Llangollen Canal
(at Hurleston Junction
), the Middlewich Branch
(at Barbridge Junction
), which itself connects via the Wardle Canal
with the Trent and Mersey Canal
, and the River Dee
(in Chester
). With two connections to the Trent and Mersey (via the Middlewich Branch
and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
) the SU is part of an important circular and rural holiday route called the Four Counties Ring
.
The SU main line was the last trunk narrow canal route to be built in England. It was not completed until 1835 and was the last major civil engineering
accomplishment of Thomas Telford
.
The name "Shropshire Union" comes from the amalgamation of the various component companies (Ellesmere Canal
, Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
, Montgomery Canal) that came together to form the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
. The main line between Nantwich
and Autherley Junction
was almost built as a railway although eventually it was decided to construct it as a waterway.
on the River Mersey
, the SU crosses the Wirral peninsula to Chester
. This stretch was built in 1805, as the Wirral Line of the Ellesmere Canal
. It connected Chester (and the River Dee
) to the River Mersey
at Ellesmere Port
. The Ellesmere Canal was to have continued west and south to Wrexham, and Trevor and then on to the River Severn
at Shrewsbury
. The line from Chester to Trevor was never built, and the section beyond Trevor was not completed in its planned form. However, some stretches of the Ellesmere were built: these now form the modern Llangollen Canal
and Montgomery Canal
both of which are strictly speaking branches of the Shropshire Union Canal, although nowadays considered to be separate canals.
built in 1772 to connect Chester and Nantwich. The canal passes alongside the city walls of Chester in a deep, vertical red sandstone cutting. After Chester, there are only a few locks as the canal crosses the nearly flat Chester Plain, passes Beeston Castle, and the junctions at Barbridge and Hurleston and arrives at Nantwich basin, the original terminus of the Chester Canal
.
The two junctions on this stretch are very important links in the English/Welsh connected network.
to connect Nantwich, at the end of the Chester Canal, to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
at Autherley Junction, near Wolverhampton. An important lost link can be seen at Norbury Junction
, where a branch (1841) ran south-west through Newport
to connect with the Shrewsbury Canal
at Wappenshall Junction
.
After Nantwich basin, a long sweeping embankment incorporating an aqueduct
carries the canal across the main A534 Nantwich-Chester road. The canal then has to climb out of the Cheshire Plain by means of a flight of 15 locks at Audlem
. The canal passes through the eastern suburbs of the town of Market Drayton
in Shropshire
. Further south there are substantial lengths of embankment through the Staffordshire
village of Knighton. There is an aqueduct south of Norbury Junction
and deep cuttings
at Loynton
near Woodseaves
(Staffordshire), Grub Street, and at Woodseaves
(Shropshire).
The lengthy embankments are equipped with flood gates at regular intervals to prevent loss of water should the canal be breached in this area. During World War II these locks were kept closed at night because of the risk of bomb damage.
At Gnosall
the canal enters the 81 yards (74.1 m) Cowley Tunnel. Originally the tunnel was planned to be 690 yards (630.9 m) long, but after the rocky first 81 yards (74.1 m), the ground was unstable, and the remaining length was opened out to form the present narrow and steep-sided Cowley Cutting.
The canal then continues as the remarkable mile-long very tall Shelmore Embankment. Repeated soil slippage during construction meant that this was the last part of the B&L Junction Canal to be opened to traffic.
At Wheaton Aston, the canal climbs its last lock to reach the summit level, fed by the Belvide Reservoir
just north of Brewood
. North of the reservoir, the canal passes by Stretton Aqueduct
over Watling Street (the A5 road).
The SU terminates at Autherley Junction
on the Staffs and Worcester Canal. Immediately before the junction is a very shallow stop lock built to prevent the loss of water to the new rival canal from the pre-existing Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
. Unusually, the B&L Junction canal's summit level was designed to be a few inches lower than the older canal, so the newer canal gains a small amount of water each time the lock is cycled (the reverse of the practice usually insisted on by canal companies as a condition for not opposing the construction of a newer one).
and other canals in the east Shropshire network (linking modern-day Telford
with the River Severn
to the south at Coalport
). Then (in 1847), the latter was taken over by the London and North Western Railway
Company, which allowed the Shrewsbury Canal and the branch from Norbury Junction to decline.
was formed. Today their main restoration activities are on the Montgomery Canal
, which is slowly being restored into Wales.
The canal in Chester is promoted by Chester Canal Heritage Trust
.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; the Llangollen
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
and Montgomery
Montgomery Canal
The Montgomery Canal , known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in Powys, in eastern Wales, and in northwest Shropshire, in western England...
canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union ("SU") system and lie partially in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The canal lies in the counties of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
in the north-west midlands of England. It links the canal system of the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, at Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, with the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
and Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
at Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, 66 miles (106.2 km) distant.
The "SU main line" runs south east from Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
at Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction is the name of the canal junction where the Shropshire Union Canal terminates and meets the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal near to Oxley, north Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England....
in Wolverhampton. Other links are to the Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
(at Hurleston Junction
Hurleston Junction
Hurleston Junction is the name of the canal junction where the Llangollen Canal terminates and meets the Shropshire Union Canal main line at Hurleston, Cheshire, England....
), the Middlewich Branch
Middlewich Branch
The Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal is located in Cheshire, in the north west of England, and runs between Middlewich, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal, and Barbridge Junction, where it joins the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal...
(at Barbridge Junction
Barbridge Junction
Barbridge Junction is the name of the canal junction located at Barbridge, Cheshire, where the Shropshire Union Canal Middlewich Branch terminates and meets the Shropshire Union Canal main line.-External links:***...
), which itself connects via the Wardle Canal
Wardle Canal
The Wardle canal is the shortest canal in the UK at .-Description:The canal lies in Middlewich, Cheshire, UK, and connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, terminating with a single lock known as Wardle Lock...
with the Trent and Mersey Canal
Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal is a in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities—east of Burton upon Trent and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal....
, and the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
(in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
). With two connections to the Trent and Mersey (via the Middlewich Branch
Middlewich Branch
The Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal is located in Cheshire, in the north west of England, and runs between Middlewich, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal, and Barbridge Junction, where it joins the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal...
and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
) the SU is part of an important circular and rural holiday route called the Four Counties Ring
Four Counties Ring
The Four Counties Ring is a canal ring which lies within the counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and the West Midlands county of England.-Component canals:...
.
The SU main line was the last trunk narrow canal route to be built in England. It was not completed until 1835 and was the last major civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
accomplishment of Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
.
The name "Shropshire Union" comes from the amalgamation of the various component companies (Ellesmere Canal
Ellesmere Canal
The Ellesmere Canal was a canal in England and Wales, originally planned to link the Rivers Mersey, Dee, and Severn, by running from Netherpool to Shrewsbury. The canal that was eventually constructed was very different from what was originally envisioned...
, Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal was a canal in England which ran from Nantwich, where it joined the Chester Canal, to Autherley, where it joined the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal...
, Montgomery Canal) that came together to form the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
The Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company was a Company in England, formed in 1846, which managed several canals and a railway. It was leased by the London and North Western Railway from 1847, and bought by it in 1922, but continued to act as a semi-autonomous body, managing the canals until...
. The main line between Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
and Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction is the name of the canal junction where the Shropshire Union Canal terminates and meets the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal near to Oxley, north Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England....
was almost built as a railway although eventually it was decided to construct it as a waterway.
Wirral Line
From Ellesmere PortEllesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
on the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, the SU crosses the Wirral peninsula to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. This stretch was built in 1805, as the Wirral Line of the Ellesmere Canal
Ellesmere Canal
The Ellesmere Canal was a canal in England and Wales, originally planned to link the Rivers Mersey, Dee, and Severn, by running from Netherpool to Shrewsbury. The canal that was eventually constructed was very different from what was originally envisioned...
. It connected Chester (and the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
) to the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
at Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
. The Ellesmere Canal was to have continued west and south to Wrexham, and Trevor and then on to the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
at Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. The line from Chester to Trevor was never built, and the section beyond Trevor was not completed in its planned form. However, some stretches of the Ellesmere were built: these now form the modern Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
and Montgomery Canal
Montgomery Canal
The Montgomery Canal , known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in Powys, in eastern Wales, and in northwest Shropshire, in western England...
both of which are strictly speaking branches of the Shropshire Union Canal, although nowadays considered to be separate canals.
Chester Canal
In Chester, from the top of the arm leading down to the Dee, the SU follows the old Chester CanalChester Canal
The Chester Canal was a canal linking the south Cheshire town of Nantwich with the River Dee at Chester, providing a route for produce from Nantwich to reach Chester and, beyond it, the sea via the Dee estuary.-History:...
built in 1772 to connect Chester and Nantwich. The canal passes alongside the city walls of Chester in a deep, vertical red sandstone cutting. After Chester, there are only a few locks as the canal crosses the nearly flat Chester Plain, passes Beeston Castle, and the junctions at Barbridge and Hurleston and arrives at Nantwich basin, the original terminus of the Chester Canal
Chester Canal
The Chester Canal was a canal linking the south Cheshire town of Nantwich with the River Dee at Chester, providing a route for produce from Nantwich to reach Chester and, beyond it, the sea via the Dee estuary.-History:...
.
The two junctions on this stretch are very important links in the English/Welsh connected network.
- At Barbridge, the Middlewich BranchMiddlewich BranchThe Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal is located in Cheshire, in the north west of England, and runs between Middlewich, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal, and Barbridge Junction, where it joins the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal...
of the SU goes NE to MiddlewichMiddlewichMiddlewich is a market town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is east of the city of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach....
on the Trent and Mersey Canal (via the tiny Wardle CanalWardle CanalThe Wardle canal is the shortest canal in the UK at .-Description:The canal lies in Middlewich, Cheshire, UK, and connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, terminating with a single lock known as Wardle Lock...
). This was the original planned main line of the Chester Canal, but was in fact built much later than the Nantwich stretch. - At Hurleston, the old Ellesmere canal from Llangollen and Montgomery made a connection from Frankton JunctionFrankton JunctionFrankton Junction is the name of the canal junction where the Montgomery Canal terminates and meets the Llangollen Canal at Lower Frankton, Shropshire, England.-Bridge numbering:...
eastwards to the old Chester Canal after it was realised that the planned main line from Trevor to Chester along the Dee was never going to be built. This canal eventually merged with the Chester Canal and became the Llangollen Branch of the Shropshire Union. These waters are now known as the Llangollen CanalLlangollen CanalThe Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
and (south from Frankton Junction, and still being restored) the Montgomery CanalMontgomery CanalThe Montgomery Canal , known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in Powys, in eastern Wales, and in northwest Shropshire, in western England...
.
Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
The odd angle between Nantwich basin and the next stretch of the SU shows that the journey southwards is on a newer (and narrow) canal originally constructed as the narrow Birmingham and Liverpool Junction CanalBirmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal was a canal in England which ran from Nantwich, where it joined the Chester Canal, to Autherley, where it joined the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal...
to connect Nantwich, at the end of the Chester Canal, to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
at Autherley Junction, near Wolverhampton. An important lost link can be seen at Norbury Junction
Norbury Junction
Norbury Junction lies about one mile to the south east of Norbury, Staffordshire, England, UK.The small settlement here is named after the canal junction between the main line of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal and its Newport Branch which ran south-west through Newport to link to the...
, where a branch (1841) ran south-west through Newport
Newport, Shropshire
Newport is a market town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies some north of Telford and some west of Stafford sitting on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border...
to connect with the Shrewsbury Canal
Shrewsbury Canal
The Shrewsbury Canal was a canal in Shropshire, England. Authorised in 1793, the main line from Trench to Shrewsbury was fully open by 1797, but it remained isolated from the rest of the canal network until 1835, when the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal built the Newport Branch from...
at Wappenshall Junction
Wappenshall Junction
Wappenshall Junction is a canal junction located at Wappenshall, Shropshire. It was created to join the Newport Branch Canal with the Shrewsbury Canal....
.
After Nantwich basin, a long sweeping embankment incorporating an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
carries the canal across the main A534 Nantwich-Chester road. The canal then has to climb out of the Cheshire Plain by means of a flight of 15 locks at Audlem
Audlem
Audlem is a large village and civil parish located in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in the north west of England, approximately south of Nantwich. Close to the border with the neighbouring county of Shropshire, the village is eight miles east of...
. The canal passes through the eastern suburbs of the town of Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. Further south there are substantial lengths of embankment through the Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
village of Knighton. There is an aqueduct south of Norbury Junction
Norbury, Staffordshire
Norbury is a village in the Borough of Stafford, in south-west Staffordshire, England.It is situated approximately north-east of Newport, just south of the A519 Newport to Newcastle-under-Lyme road, and two miles south-east of Woodseaves....
and deep cuttings
Cut (earthmoving)
In civil engineering, a cut or cutting is where soil or rock material from a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a canal, road or railway line....
at Loynton
Loynton
Loynton is a hamlet on the A519 near the villages of Norbury, and Woodseaves in Staffordshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of Norbury....
near Woodseaves
Woodseaves
Woodseaves is a village in Staffordshire, England.It lies in the civil parish of High Offley and is situated on the A519 road and lies at the south-west end of the B5405 road, which leads to Great Bridgeford. Nearby are the villages of Gnosall and Norbury, the hamlets of Knightley and High Offley,...
(Staffordshire), Grub Street, and at Woodseaves
Sutton upon Tern
Sutton upon Tern is a civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is situated south of Market Drayton, on the River Tern....
(Shropshire).
The lengthy embankments are equipped with flood gates at regular intervals to prevent loss of water should the canal be breached in this area. During World War II these locks were kept closed at night because of the risk of bomb damage.
At Gnosall
Gnosall
Gnosall is a large village in the Borough of Stafford, Staffordshire, England, with a population of approximately 5,000. It lies on the A518, approximately half-way between the towns of Newport and the county town of Staffordshire, Stafford...
the canal enters the 81 yards (74.1 m) Cowley Tunnel. Originally the tunnel was planned to be 690 yards (630.9 m) long, but after the rocky first 81 yards (74.1 m), the ground was unstable, and the remaining length was opened out to form the present narrow and steep-sided Cowley Cutting.
The canal then continues as the remarkable mile-long very tall Shelmore Embankment. Repeated soil slippage during construction meant that this was the last part of the B&L Junction Canal to be opened to traffic.
At Wheaton Aston, the canal climbs its last lock to reach the summit level, fed by the Belvide Reservoir
Belvide Reservoir
Belvide Reservoir is a reservoir in South Staffordshire, England. Owned by British Waterways, it was constructed c. 1833 to feed the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, which is now the Shropshire Union Canal...
just north of Brewood
Brewood
Brewood refers both to a settlement, which was once a town but is now a village, in South Staffordshire, England, and to the civil parish of which it is the centre. Located around , Brewood village lies near the River Penk, eight miles north of Wolverhampton city centre and eleven miles south of...
. North of the reservoir, the canal passes by Stretton Aqueduct
Stretton Aqueduct
Stretton Aqueduct is a short cast iron canal aqueduct between Stretton and Brewood, and near to Belvide Reservoir, in south Staffordshire, England...
over Watling Street (the A5 road).
The SU terminates at Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction is the name of the canal junction where the Shropshire Union Canal terminates and meets the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal near to Oxley, north Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England....
on the Staffs and Worcester Canal. Immediately before the junction is a very shallow stop lock built to prevent the loss of water to the new rival canal from the pre-existing Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
. Unusually, the B&L Junction canal's summit level was designed to be a few inches lower than the older canal, so the newer canal gains a small amount of water each time the lock is cycled (the reverse of the practice usually insisted on by canal companies as a condition for not opposing the construction of a newer one).
Onward Links
The link with the Staffs and Worcester provides a choice of onward journeys:- Northwards, the S&W meets the Trent and Mersey at Great Haywood junction - allowing journeys east to the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union Canal (or the Trent) or north to the Potteries, Manchester, and the Pennines.
- Southwards, Aldersley Junction is only a mile away, connecting to the BCN Main LineBCN Main LineThe BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line describes the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England....
of the Birmingham Canal NavigationsBirmingham Canal NavigationsBirmingham Canal Navigations is a network of navigable canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country...
(the maze of canals between WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
) and onwards to the Grand Union CanalGrand Union CanalThe Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
main line and London. - Beyond Aldersley, the S&W is a very popular holiday route down to the River SevernRiver SevernThe River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
at Stourport.
Formation of the "Shropshire Union" company
The Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company was formed in 1846. The Ellesmere and Chester canals had amalgamated in 1813, and the absorption of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal by the Ellesmere and Chester Company was authorised by an Act of Parliament passed in 1845. A further Act, passed in 1846, changed the name of the company to the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company and authorised the acquisition of the Shrewsbury CanalShrewsbury Canal
The Shrewsbury Canal was a canal in Shropshire, England. Authorised in 1793, the main line from Trench to Shrewsbury was fully open by 1797, but it remained isolated from the rest of the canal network until 1835, when the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal built the Newport Branch from...
and other canals in the east Shropshire network (linking modern-day Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
with the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
to the south at Coalport
Coalport
Coalport is a village in Shropshire, now part of the new town of Telford. It is located on the River Severn at , a mile downstream of Ironbridge...
). Then (in 1847), the latter was taken over by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
Company, which allowed the Shrewsbury Canal and the branch from Norbury Junction to decline.
Restoration
In order to promote the interest in, use of, and restoration of parts of the Shropshire Union Canal, the Shropshire Union Canal SocietyShropshire Union Canal Society
Shropshire Union Canal Society is an organisation formed to promote interest in the Shropshire Union Canal.In December 1964 the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal Association was formed, with the ambition of restoring to navigation the canals between Norbury Junction and Shrewsbury...
was formed. Today their main restoration activities are on the Montgomery Canal
Montgomery Canal
The Montgomery Canal , known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in Powys, in eastern Wales, and in northwest Shropshire, in western England...
, which is slowly being restored into Wales.
The canal in Chester is promoted by Chester Canal Heritage Trust
Chester Canal Heritage Trust
The Chester Canal Heritage Trust was started in 1997, to promote the canal in Chester, Cheshire, and educate about it. The canal was originally the Chester Canal, before becoming part of the Shropshire Union Canal network....
.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...