Shropshire Union Canal (Dee Branch) - Bottom Lock - Chester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 11.560 W 002° 54.094
30U E 506576 N 5893708
The Dee Branch is broad canal and is a short stretch of the Shropshire Union Canal less than 1 mile long. It connects the main line of the canal with the River Dee.
Waymark Code: WMWF1X
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/25/2017
Views: 0
The Canal
Before canals became popular in the UK there was a port on the River Dee at Chester.
After the Trent and Mersy Canal was built a loat of boat traffic diverted to the canal and Chester was worried about losing all its trade and so proposed a canal from the River Dee to connect to the Trent and Mersey Canal at Middlewich
with a branch to Nantwich. However the Trent and Mersey Canal were unco-operative about a junction at Middlewich, and so the route to Nantwich was opened in 1779.
Later on in 1795 the Ellesmere Canal was built from Ellesmere Port to connect to the Chester Canal and later after other extensions various parts of the Canal were merged to form the Shropshire Union Canal.
When the Ellesmere Canal was completed the line of the canal that connected to the River Dee was modified, but this lock is one of the original ones on the old line.
These days most of the short Dee Branch that connects the Shropshire Union to the River Dee is closed and boats can no longer connect to the River Dee.
The are proposals to renovate this stretch of the canal and build a new lock in a weir on the River Dee to restore navigation along the length of the River Dee.
The Lock
This lock is the third lock from the main line. It has been well maintained and the lock gates have been replaced since 2000 but due to difficulties maintaining this stretch of canal it is not currently operational.
Waterway Name: Shropshire Union Canal (Dee Branch)
Connected Points:
The River Dee and The Shropshire Union Canal (Chester Canal)
Type: Lock
Date Opened: 01/01/1779
Elevation Difference (meters): 2.00
Site Status: Operational
Web Site: [Web Link]
Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed
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