Bridge 88 Over The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line) - Baddington,UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 02.594 W 002° 32.484
30U E 530745 N 5877178
This single arch bridge carries Baddington Lane over the Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line)
Waymark Code: WMY45B
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/17/2018
Views: 1
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.
The Bridge
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Public road bridge over the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal, circa 1826 (consultant T.Telford). Blue brick and stonework. Wide elliptical skew-arch with stone springing. One-brick-deep outer face to arch and projecting stone carriageway-level band. Cast-iron rubbing posts to angles of arch and blue brick tow-path paving, with raised course for hoof grip. Curved approach walls, rounded stone parapet copings and 4-way rounded end-pier caps."
link
There is a concrete store for holding stop planks next to the bridge. Stop planks are used to stop the flow of water in the canal for maintenance purposes. Bridges and locks are often used for stop planks because the canal is at its narrowest at these points.