Your floating hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

Our guide to the waterways of the UK in detail.

Pictures of the Trent & Mersey Canal.

Preston Brook to Midlewich.

This was the first true canal to be built in the UK. Previously rivers had been made navigable, then the Bridgewater canal was built as the first water route which did not follow the course of a river. The Trent & Mersey had locks, a summit and a tunnel to enable it to travel from the watershed of the Mersey over to the watershed of the Trent this was an important innovation.

It is ninety-five miles long from Derwent mouth to the Bridgewater canal at the north end of Preston Brook tunnel. In has seventy-six locks four great tunnels. Eight other navigations join it so sections of it are included in many of our cruises. .

At Middlewich the canal drops down the last three narrow locks built on a steep bend and with a dry dock half way down. You then enter what was conceived as a broad canal. The last lock being broad, built in the hope that barge traffic may come off the Bridgewater right up to Middlewich. However this never materialised, narrow tunnels causing problems right at the start. More recently other sections of canal have been narrowed.

No more locks now on the last 20 miles of the canal, immediately after Middlewich the canal is out in the country again with several wides created by subsidence due to salt extraction. Industry is passed through in the outskirts of Northwich, then more country until at Anderton is passed the famous lift which allows boats to be lowered down 60 foot to join the River Weaver. For many years the lift was closed, but happily it is once again in working order. Some trips we go down it, but if not we always stop at the top to let guests see this wonder of the canal system.

The next stretch of canal proved very difficult to construct along the side of the Weaver valley and eventually tunnels were dug at Barnton, 572 yards, and Saltersford, 203 yards to get over this problem. The Trent & Mersey Canal officially finishes after a few more country miles at Dutton Stop lock, but it immediately goes into Preston Brook tunnel, 1,239 yards, one way only before coming to Preston brook junction where the Bridgewater canal goes towards Manchester or Runcorn. There was another canal port here like Shadlow, but all trace of it has now gone.

Preston Brook tunnel	Dutton Stop lock
Barton tunnel
Middlewich

More pictures of this canal?

Middlewich to Hardings Wood Junction / Hardings Wood Junction to Eturia

Eturia to Great Haywood / Fradley to Shardlow

A history of this canal. / General information on the canal.

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

We will not be on this part of this canal in 2008

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