Railway Viaduct Over The Shropshire Union Canal - Mollington, UK - Stone Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Shropshire and Union Canal
The first part of the canal between Ellesmere Port and Chester was started in 1795 and then later extended.

"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 km) distant.

The "SU main line" runs southeast 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." link

The bridge
The bridge carries Merseyrail trains between Liverpool and Chester on the Wirral Line. The line was originally built as part of the Birkenhead Railway Company.

The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"1/29 Railway viaduct over the Shropshire Union Canal. - - II Railway viaduct: dated 1839 by Geo. Stephenson and John Dixon for Chester and Birkenhead Railway Co. Rock-faced red sandstone with blue and orange brick vaulting. Main arch over the canal built on the skew has rusticated voussoirs and dated keystones with a skew brick vault. To either side is an arcade of 5 smaller ordinary semi-circular brick arches with stone imposts and keystones on raking stone piers. Projecting band at track level carries a low stone parapet with modern aluminium railing." link

Physical Location (city, county, etc.): Mollington, Cheshire West and Chester Road, Highway, Street, etc.: Wirral Line Water or other terrain spanned: The Shropshire Union Canal Architect/Builder: Geo. Stephenson and John Dixon Construction Date: 1839

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