Bridge 147 Over Shropshire Union Canal - Ellesmere Port, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 17.188 W 002° 53.470
30U E 507254 N 5904144
This brick built single span arch bridge carries a small track over the Shropshire Union Canal.
Waymark Code: WMWB65
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/06/2017
Views: 0
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."
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The bridge
The bridge, known as Powell's Bridge, is the first of the original bridges over the canal after leaving the wharf at Ellesmere Port.
However a major road network has been built since then, including the M53 motorway. A modern concrete road bridge now stands between this bridge and Ellesmere port and this bridge is now redundant and the track over the bridge has no connection with the surrounding modern road network.
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"ELLESMERE PORT & NESTON SHROPSHIRE UNION CANAL SJ 47 NW 3/51 Powell's Bridge 24.2.71 II 1795 single-span brown brick bridge over canal, as Bewley's Bridge (qv). Elliptical arch between battered abutments, curved in plan. Brick band and parapet with stone copings."
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