Arch Bridge 1 Over The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Newport Branch) - Norbury, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 52° 48.150 W 002° 18.483
30U E 546647 N 5850525
This single arch stone bridge carries the towpath of the main line of The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal) over the end of the Telford Branch of the canal.
Waymark Code: WMYXQN
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/07/2018
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.
After the canal was built to Nantwich the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal was built to connect Nantwich to Authley near Wolverhampton.
Subsequently a branch line of the canal was built to Telford from Norbry Junction where there was a busy wharf. These days the Telford Branch is no longer in use but the wharf still has a marina and moorings for leisure boats.
Eventually these canals and a number of others merged to form the Shropshire Union Canal.
The Bridge
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Accommodation bridge across entrance to former Newport Branch Canal. c1829-32. Telford design. Stone, with stone band and copings. Single elliptical arch with voussoirs. Stonework slightly battered outwards-towards base. West side has solid parapet and piers. East side has solid, low, curving parapet and oval iron number-plate. 2 iron rope fenders. Stone towpath coping beneath bridge."
link
A very short stretch of the canal beyond the bridge is still in water with private moorings. Just beyond this the chamber of lock 1 on the canal has had a boat repair yard built over it and can be drained to act as a dry dock if necessary.