Bridge 3 Over The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line) - Pendeford, Uk
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 52° 37.328 W 002° 09.532
30U E 556939 N 5830569
This single arch brick bridge over the The Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal - Main Line) was built as a combined accommodation bridge for a nearby farm and roving bridge for the towpath.
Waymark Code: WMYZJY
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/15/2018
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
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Accommodation bridge over Shropshire Union Canal, immediately to south of The Droveway. Circa 1834. By Thomas Telford. Brick with stone coping. Elliptical brick arch with stone-coped parapets, that to south swept forward and down; south part of bridge divided off by parapet to form roving bridge. Oval iron plaque to south side has figure: 3."
link
Roving bridges are used when the towpath switches from one side of the canal to another and carries the towpath over the canal.
By having two ramps on the same face of the canal horses could be led over the bridge without having to disconnect the tow rope from the boat.
Roving bridges on this canal are also used as normal bridges to allow vehicles etc. to simply cross over the canal. The two types of users of the bridge are separated by a wall in the middle of the bridge.