Bridge 86 Over The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line) - Hack Green, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 01.897 W 002° 32.187
30U E 531085 N 5875888
This bridge was built as an accommodation bridge for a nearby farm.
Waymark Code: WMY45G
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/17/2018
Views: 2
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
This bridge marks the northern end of the The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line).
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Accommodation bridge, circa 1826 (consultant T.Telford). Blue bricks, in English Bond, and stonework. One-brick deep elliptical arch and projecting stone band at track level. Cast iron rubbing posts to angles, blue paving and concrete edge kerbs to tow path. Splayed approach walls, rounded parapet coping and 4-way rounded caps to end piers."
link
This bridge stands next to Hack Green Top Lock. Bridges are often built close to locks as the canal is at its narrowest at these points.