Ellesmere Canal
Encyclopedia
The Ellesmere Canal was a canal in England
and Wales
, originally planned to link the Rivers Mersey
, Dee
, and Severn
, by running from Netherpool (now known as Ellesmere Port
) to Shrewsbury
. The canal that was eventually constructed was very different from what was originally envisioned. Part of the Ellesmere Canal has now become known as the Llangollen Canal
, part forms a section of the Montgomery Canal
, and part forms a section of what is now called the Shropshire Union Canal
main line.
in 1791 for a canal from Netherpool (now known as Ellesmere Port
) on the River Mersey
to the River Dee
, and from there via Overton
(south of Wrexham
) to the River Severn
at Shrewsbury
. This proposed canal would have branches, to the iron making and coal mining areas at Bersham between Wrexham
and Ruabon
, and to Llanymynech
.
However, there were suggestions that it would be better to take a more westerly route from the Dee to the Severn, passing directly through the Ruabon industrial area, and John Duncombe was asked to survey such a route. The engineer William Jessop
was called in to advise, and he recommended Duncombe's route. This route posed formidable engineering obstacles, with deep valleys to be crossed and high ground to be tunnelled. Duncombe's survey involved a climb of 92 m (303 ft) from Chester
to Wrexham, a 4212 m (4607 yard) tunnel at Ruabon, a high level crossing over the Dee at Pontcysyllte
, a further tunnel and aqueduct
near Chirk
, and a tunnel in Shropshire near Weston Lullingfields
.
A plan of the canal, published in 1795 shows the intended route, with the main line running from the River Mersey to the River Severn passing through or past: Great Stanney; Stoke
; Wervin
; Caughall; Chester; Saltneyside; Leech Hall; Rough Hill; Cuckoos Nest; Wrexham
; Ruabon
; Plas Maddock; Chirk
; Hordley
; Dandyford; Shade Oak; Weston Lullingfield
; Eyton
; Walford
; Hancott; Shrewsbury
. This plan showed four branches. A three mile (5 km) branch would run to Holt
. A five mile (8 km) branch would from near Wrexham to Brumbo
. A branch would run from near Hordley to Llanymyneck
, via Maesbury
, Morton and Crickheath. A 17-mile (27-km) branch would run from near Tetchill to Prees Heath
, via Welshampton
, Fenns Moss
and Whitchurch
.
An Act of Parliament
was passed in 1793, and Jessop was appointed engineer while Thomas Telford
was appointed as General Agent
. The easy section from the Mersey to the Dee near Chester, was first used in 1795. This allowed the company to generate revenue from tolls in order to help finance construction of the rest of the canal.
For the second, upstream, crossing of the River Dee, rather than crossing at full height, Jessop had offered a cheaper solution using locks on both sides of the valley to take the canal down to a more manageable height, although this would have required backpumping the water they would use. Although it is not clear exactly with whom the credit should lie, between them Jessop and Telford developed a proposal for a cast-iron aqueduct at Pontcysyllte
in 1795 without any locks or backpumping, thus maintaining the original level.
with Llanymynech. This joined the Montgomeryshire Canal at Carreghofa Locks when the Montgomeryshire opened in 1797.
In 1796 construction on a feeder reservoir at Moss Valley
was started. In 1798 work on this section of canal was ceased. This isolated section ran from Ffrwd to a basin in Summerhill
.
The Mersey to the Dee section was joined to the Chester Canal
in 1797.
On the main line section, the Chirk Aqueduct
was opened in 1801, and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
in 1805. However, by this time the proposed line from the Dee at Chester to Ruabon had been abandoned as uneconomic. The canal was therefore terminated at Trevor Basin
, 2 miles southwest of Ruabon
.
Also abandoned was the plan to reach the Severn, as the Shrewsbury Canal
was already serving the town, and the poor navigational state of the Severn meant that additional traffic would not justify the cost of the building works.
As the canal would now not reach its proposed main source of water northwest of Wrexham
, a feeder was constructed along the side of the Dee valley to Horseshoe Falls at Llantisilio. This narrow feeder branch was made navigable, allowing boats to reach Llangollen
.
What was originally to be constructed as the main line of the canal in fact only ran from Pontcysyllte Basin to Weston Lullingfields, some 29 kilometres (18 mi) long. This left the canal isolated from the rest of the waterways network, so so the planned Whitchurch branch was re-routed to link the canal to the rest of the waterways network.
The 47 kilometres (29 mi) "branch" was constructed, from Frankton via Ellesmere to the Chester Canal at Hurleston Junction
. It was finished in sections between 1797 and 1806 and became considered the main line.
As the new route by-passed Whitchurch
, the extension included a short arm to reach the town.
Another branch originally intended to reach Prees; however this never reached its destination, and was only constructed as far as Quina Brook
.
The section from Frankton Junction to Weston Lullingfields, originally intended as part of the main line, was then considered a branch, known as the Weston Branch. The uncompleted section between Weston Lullingfields and the River Severn Shrewsbury would have been 9.5 miles (15.3 km) long, with 107 feet (32.6 m) of lockage and a 487 yards (445.3 m) tunnel at Weston Lullingfileds.
A merger with the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal
in 1845 was followed in 1846 by the formation of the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
.
By 1939 traffic on the line from Hurleston to Llangollen had ceased, and the whole of the Ellesmere Canal network other than the line from Ellesmere Port to Chester was closed to navigation by Act of Parliament in 1944. However, the line from Hurleston to Llangollen was retained purely as a water feeder for the Shropshire Union Canal main line and for drinking water, with an agreement in 1955 with the Mid & South East Cheshire Water Board securing the line's future.
The Ellesmere Canal south of Frankton Junction, including the Llanymynch Branch and the Montgomeryshire Canal, is nowadays referred to as the Montgomery Canal, and the isolated northern section from Chester to Ellesmere Port considered part of the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal.
The Weston Branch is now infilled, save for a very short section, which has a British Waterways
amenity block.
at Ellesmere Port Dock
.
The configuration of the locks at Chester was altered when the Ellesmere Canal was joined to the Chester Canal, with the original 5-lock staircase being replaced by the three Dee locks. This section is now part of the Shropshire Union Canal
.
of the Shropshire Union Canal
of the Shropshire Union Canal
.
.
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...
and 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...
, originally planned to link the Rivers 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....
, 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....
, and 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...
, by running from Netherpool (now known as 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...
) to 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 canal that was eventually constructed was very different from what was originally envisioned. Part of the Ellesmere Canal has now become known as 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....
, part forms a section of 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...
, and part forms a section of what is now called the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
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 system and lie partially in Wales....
main line.
The plan
The formal proposal for the canal was launched at a meeting in EllesmereEllesmere, Shropshire
Ellesmere is a small market town near Oswestry in north Shropshire, England, notable for its proximity to a number of prominent lakes, the Meres.-History:...
in 1791 for a canal from Netherpool (now known as 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...
) 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....
to 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....
, and from there via Overton
Overton-on-Dee
Overton-on-Dee is a small rural town and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
(south of Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
) 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...
. This proposed canal would have branches, to the iron making and coal mining areas at Bersham between Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
and Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
, and to Llanymynech
Llanymynech
Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England about 9 miles north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks"....
.
However, there were suggestions that it would be better to take a more westerly route from the Dee to the Severn, passing directly through the Ruabon industrial area, and John Duncombe was asked to survey such a route. The engineer William Jessop
William Jessop
William Jessop was an English civil engineer, best known for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.-Early life:...
was called in to advise, and he recommended Duncombe's route. This route posed formidable engineering obstacles, with deep valleys to be crossed and high ground to be tunnelled. Duncombe's survey involved a climb of 92 m (303 ft) from 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...
to Wrexham, a 4212 m (4607 yard) tunnel at Ruabon, a high level crossing over the Dee at Pontcysyllte
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham in north east Wales....
, a further tunnel and 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....
near Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
, and a tunnel in Shropshire near Weston Lullingfields
Weston Lullingfields
Weston Lullingfields is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located about 15km north west of Shrewsbury.The village name 'Weston' is a common one in England. It is Anglo Saxon in origin and means 'west farm'....
.
A plan of the canal, published in 1795 shows the intended route, with the main line running from the River Mersey to the River Severn passing through or past: Great Stanney; Stoke
Stoak
Stoak is a small village under the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester, and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England .To its west is the intersection of the M53 and M56 Motorways and to its east the Shropshire Union Canal....
; Wervin
Wervin
Wervin is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated between Chester and Ellesmere Port, in close proximity to the Shropshire Union Canal and the M53 motorway. At the 2001 Census, Wervin had a...
; Caughall; Chester; Saltneyside; Leech Hall; Rough Hill; Cuckoos Nest; Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
; Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
; Plas Maddock; Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
; Hordley
Hordley
Hordley is a small and rural village and civil parish in North Shropshire, Shropshire, England.It lies a few miles south of Ellesmere.Hordley takes its name from the Hoord Family of whom Henry de Hoord is the first recorded....
; Dandyford; Shade Oak; Weston Lullingfield
Weston Lullingfields
Weston Lullingfields is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located about 15km north west of Shrewsbury.The village name 'Weston' is a common one in England. It is Anglo Saxon in origin and means 'west farm'....
; Eyton
Eyton on Severn
Eyton on Severn is a small village in the English county of Shropshire. It is located on a ridge above the northern bank of the River Severn. The significant tributory of the Cound Brook joins the Severn at Eyton, albeit on the opposite bank....
; Walford
Walford, Shropshire
Walford is a small village in Shropshire, England.It is notable for its agricultural college . The B5067, Shrewsbury to Baschurch road, runs through the village....
; Hancott; 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...
. This plan showed four branches. A three mile (5 km) branch would run to Holt
Holt, Wales
Holt is a medieval market town and local government community in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales. It is situated on the border with England. Holt Castle was begun by Edward I shortly after the English invasion of Wales in 1277.-Area:...
. A five mile (8 km) branch would from near Wrexham to Brumbo
Brymbo
Brymbo is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village situated in the hilly country to the west of Wrexham town, largely surrounded by farmland....
. A branch would run from near Hordley to Llanymyneck
Llanymynech
Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England about 9 miles north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks"....
, via Maesbury
Maesbury
Maesbury is a small scattered community in Shropshire, England, south of the town of Oswestry, falling within the Oswestry Rural parish.Maesbury traditionally consists of five hamlets: Ball, Gwernybrenin, Newbridge, Maesbury and Maesbury Marsh, though the wider area now includes Aston and...
, Morton and Crickheath. A 17-mile (27-km) branch would run from near Tetchill to Prees Heath
Prees, Shropshire
Prees is a village and civil parish in north Shropshire, near the border between England and Wales. Its name is Celtic and means "brushwood"....
, via Welshampton
Welshampton
Welshampton is a small village located on the A495 road in Shropshire, England, near to the town of Ellesmere. It is adjacent to the villages of Lyneal and Colemere which comprise part of the so-called 'North Shropshire Lake District', all of which is within walking distance of Welshampton...
, Fenns Moss
Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses NNR
Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve is a National Nature Reserve which straddles the border between England and Wales, near Whixall and Ellesmere in Shropshire, England....
and Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was passed in 1793, and Jessop was appointed engineer while 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:...
was appointed as General Agent
General Agent
A General Agent is an agent, i.e., representative of another, who has a mandate of general nature.-Colonial use:In the Niger Rivers District the only Senior Agent, who administered the region for the National African Company Limited , was promoted in 1882 to become the first...
. The easy section from the Mersey to the Dee near Chester, was first used in 1795. This allowed the company to generate revenue from tolls in order to help finance construction of the rest of the canal.
For the second, upstream, crossing of the River Dee, rather than crossing at full height, Jessop had offered a cheaper solution using locks on both sides of the valley to take the canal down to a more manageable height, although this would have required backpumping the water they would use. Although it is not clear exactly with whom the credit should lie, between them Jessop and Telford developed a proposal for a cast-iron aqueduct at Pontcysyllte
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham in north east Wales....
in 1795 without any locks or backpumping, thus maintaining the original level.
Construction
In 1796 the Llanymynech Branch was opened, linking the main line at Frankton JunctionFrankton Junction
Frankton 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:...
with Llanymynech. This joined the Montgomeryshire Canal at Carreghofa Locks when the Montgomeryshire opened in 1797.
In 1796 construction on a feeder reservoir at Moss Valley
Moss Valley, Wrexham
The Moss Valley is an area and country park in Britain. It is in the county borough of Wrexham, in north Wales. The area is also informally known as "The Moss" and The Aggey amongst locals. It is most well known for its extensive coal mining history...
was started. In 1798 work on this section of canal was ceased. This isolated section ran from Ffrwd to a basin in Summerhill
Summerhill, Wrexham
Summerhill is a semi-urban village in the suburbs of Wrexham, Wales and forms part of the community of Gwersyllt.-Industry and History:In the 19th and early 20th century, Summerhill was predominately focused around local farming or coalmining industries, however there was also nearby Brymbo...
.
The Mersey to the Dee section was joined to 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:...
in 1797.
On the main line section, the Chirk Aqueduct
Chirk Aqueduct
Chirk Aqueduct is a high and long navigable aqueduct that carries what is now the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk, on the England-Wales border....
was opened in 1801, and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham in north east Wales....
in 1805. However, by this time the proposed line from the Dee at Chester to Ruabon had been abandoned as uneconomic. The canal was therefore terminated at Trevor Basin
Trevor Basin
Trevor Basin is a Canal basin on the Llangollen Canal, situated near Trevor, in Clwyd, between Llangollen and Ruabon.The basin was originally built at the northern end of the central section of the Ellesmere Canal, just 150yds north of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.With the abandonment of the planned...
, 2 miles southwest of Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
.
Also abandoned was the plan to reach the Severn, as 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...
was already serving the town, and the poor navigational state of the Severn meant that additional traffic would not justify the cost of the building works.
As the canal would now not reach its proposed main source of water northwest of Wrexham
Moss Valley, Wrexham
The Moss Valley is an area and country park in Britain. It is in the county borough of Wrexham, in north Wales. The area is also informally known as "The Moss" and The Aggey amongst locals. It is most well known for its extensive coal mining history...
, a feeder was constructed along the side of the Dee valley to Horseshoe Falls at Llantisilio. This narrow feeder branch was made navigable, allowing boats to reach Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
.
What was originally to be constructed as the main line of the canal in fact only ran from Pontcysyllte Basin to Weston Lullingfields, some 29 kilometres (18 mi) long. This left the canal isolated from the rest of the waterways network, so so the planned Whitchurch branch was re-routed to link the canal to the rest of the waterways network.
The 47 kilometres (29 mi) "branch" was constructed, from Frankton via Ellesmere to the Chester Canal 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....
. It was finished in sections between 1797 and 1806 and became considered the main line.
As the new route by-passed Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
, the extension included a short arm to reach the town.
Another branch originally intended to reach Prees; however this never reached its destination, and was only constructed as far as Quina Brook
Quina Brook
Quina Brook is a hamlet in north Shropshire, near the border between England and Wales.Quina Brook was the final destination of an arm of the Ellesmere Canal. This arm was originally going to terminate at Prees...
.
The section from Frankton Junction to Weston Lullingfields, originally intended as part of the main line, was then considered a branch, known as the Weston Branch. The uncompleted section between Weston Lullingfields and the River Severn Shrewsbury would have been 9.5 miles (15.3 km) long, with 107 feet (32.6 m) of lockage and a 487 yards (445.3 m) tunnel at Weston Lullingfileds.
Later history
The Ellesmere Canal merged with the Chester Canal in 1813, forming the Ellesmere and Chester Canal Company.A merger with the 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...
in 1845 was followed in 1846 by the formation of 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...
.
Decline
In 1917 the Weston Branch was closed following a breach near Hordley Wharf,.By 1939 traffic on the line from Hurleston to Llangollen had ceased, and the whole of the Ellesmere Canal network other than the line from Ellesmere Port to Chester was closed to navigation by Act of Parliament in 1944. However, the line from Hurleston to Llangollen was retained purely as a water feeder for the Shropshire Union Canal main line and for drinking water, with an agreement in 1955 with the Mid & South East Cheshire Water Board securing the line's future.
Today
Despite the formal closure, increasing popularity of the canal with pleasure boats led to its acceptance as an important amenity, and the rebranding as the Llangollen Canal. As the canal was never intended to go to Llangollen, this renaming is an ironic twist symbolic of the canal's convoluted development.The Ellesmere Canal south of Frankton Junction, including the Llanymynch Branch and the Montgomeryshire Canal, is nowadays referred to as the Montgomery Canal, and the isolated northern section from Chester to Ellesmere Port considered part of the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal.
The Weston Branch is now infilled, save for a very short section, which has a British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
amenity block.
Ellesmere Port to Chester
Starts at the junction of the with the Manchester Ship CanalManchester 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 Dock
Ellesmere Port Dock
Ellesmere Port Dock is a dock situated on the Manchester Ship Canal, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. The Ellesmere Canal gives its name to the area were the canal joins the Mersey, by the mid-1790s, it was known as Ellesmere Port. Docks and warehouses were built to facilitate this.Between...
.
Shropshire Union Canal
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 system and lie partially in Wales....
.
Hurleston to Frankton Junction
This section was added to link the canal to the national network. It is now part of the Llangollen sectionLlangollen 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....
of the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
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 system and lie partially in Wales....
Frankton Junction to Trevor Basin
This was the principal part of the original main line of the canal. It is now part of the Llangollen sectionLlangollen 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....
of the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
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 system and lie partially in Wales....
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Trevor Basin to Horseshoe Falls
This section of the canal was added as a navigable feeder. It is now part of the Llangollen CanalLlangollen 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....
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Frankton Junction to Llanymynech
The section from Frankton Junction to the Weston Branch was originally intended to be the main line of the canal. This section is now considered to be part of the Montgomery Canal.Frankton Junction to Weston Lullingfields
This section was originally intended to be the main line of the canal, and is now infilled. The 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long arm had wharves at Hordley, Dandyford, Pedlar's Bridge, Shade Oak and Weston Lullingfields. At Weston Lullingfields the canal company built a wharf, four lime kilns, a public house, stables, a clerk's house and weighing machine. These were opened in 1797 and closed in 1917 when the Weston branch was closed following a breach of the canal.See also
- Canals of Great Britain
- 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...