Your floating hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

Our guide to the waterways of the UK in detail.

Pictures of the Shropshire Union Canal,

Barbridge to Chester.

The Shropshire Union canal as we now it is composed of parts of all three of the four companies which came together as the Shropshire Union. However other sections still exist but are now called the Llangollen canal and the Montgomery canal. What we now as the Shropshire Union is a canal reaching for sixty-six miles through forty-seven locks, some narrow some broad, from the outskirts of Wolverhampton past Nantwich and Chester to the Mersey estuary at Ellsemere Port opposite Liverpool.

From Nantwich we travel on what was once the Chester canal which was built to barge standards. It quickly passes Hurleston junction where the Llangollen starts to climb. Then Barbridge junction where a branch goes over to the Trent and Mersey at Middlwich. After five miles it reaches Bunbury where two wide staircase locks start the drop down to Chester. Another four individual locks, one of then a unique iron lock lower us to the Cheshire plain beneath Beeston castle high on its rugged outcrop of rock. It remains on the skyline for visible for many miles. The Cheshire plain is then crossed on an eight mile pound to bring us to the outskirts of Chester. Here five locks lower the canal through the outskirts of Chester. To where the medieval walls with the cathedral tower over you. Reaching the walls the canal follows the moat, and drops down the immense three lock broad staircase at Northgate and then swings into Tower wharf. Here the old Chester canal descends further onto the river Dee.

Bunbury staircase locks.	Northgate three rise staircase locks in Chester.	Tower wharf in Chester.

More pictures of this canal?

Autherly to Norbury / Norbury to Nantwich / Chester to Ellesmere Port / Middlewich branch.

General information on the canal.

The History of the canal

The Chester canal / The Liverpool & Birmingham Junction. / The Shropshire Union.

Find our information about other canals and rivers on the canal index page.

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk