Bridge 142 Over Shropshire Union Canal - Ellesmere Port, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 16.222 W 002° 52.595
30U E 508230 N 5902353
This brick built single span arch bridge carries a small track over the Shropshire Union Canal.
Waymark Code: WMWBA8
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/07/2017
Views: 1
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 is known as Weaver's Bridge.
It was probably built as an accommodation bridge, and based on its name, for a mill. Development after the canal was built including the M53 motorway has left this bridge rather isolated with 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 3/48 Weaver's Bridge 24.2.71 - II 1795 single span brown brick bridge over canal. Thomas Telford, Superintending Engineer. 3-centre arch, badly settled, between battered abutments, curved in plan. 2-course curving brick bands at road level. Flush chamfered sand- stone copings (1 stone missing). Some decay to brickwork; parapet walls re- built in hard red brick. Yellow stone quoins at base of west abutment."
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