Nantwich Aqueduct - Nantwich, UK - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

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.

After the canal was built to Nantwich the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal was built to connect Nantwich to Authley near Wolverhampton. Eventually these canals and a number of others merged to form the Shropshire Union Canal.

This bridge marks the northern end of the The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line).

The Aqueduct

Although earlier canals did use locks and tunnels when the need arose, they tended to stick to the contours of the land necessitating the canals to wander and not follow a direct route. The aqueduct is a Historic England Gradee II* Listed Building.

This later canal was built using a much more direct route which needed the use of large cuttings and embankments. The canal, here at its northern end, was built on a large embankment, but had to cross Chester Road and so this short aqueduct was built to achieve this.

The aqueduct is a Historic England Grade II* listed building.
"Aqueduct carrying the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal over the Chester to Nantwich Road. Circa 1826 (consultant T. Telford). Stone dressed brick abutements with cast-iron trough. Cast iron segmental arch with ribbed soffit. Triangular sunken panels to spandrels with five flange-bolted panels at trough level. The bridge arch sits on moulded stone imposts which return across the faces of stone pilasters which flank the carriageway opening. The pilasters continue upwards to become square piers with four-way weathered caps above a projecting band at parapet level. The piers support the cast-iron balustrade over the highway and on top of the curved embankment retaining walls. The impost continues as a string course across the embankment wall and the pier base bands become the coping. The curved, horizontal sections of the embankment wall terminate as pilasters and piers similar to those which flank the carriageway opening." link

Height of bridge: 15 feet 3 inches What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Pedestrians and cyclists on towpath, boats on the canal What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: Chester Road (B5341) Date constructed: 1826 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line) Location: Nantwich, Cheshire East Length of bridge: Not listed

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