Bridge 123G Over Shropshire Union Canal - Chester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 11.638 W 002° 53.599
30U E 507127 N 5893853
This bridge carries Northgate Street over the Shropshire Union Canal and is known as Northgate Bridge.
Waymark Code: WMWF91
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/27/2017
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. However the Trent and Mersey Canal were unco-operative about a junction at Middlewich, and so the route to Nantwich was opened in 1779.
Later on in 1795 the Ellesmere Canal was built from Ellesmere Port to connect to the Chester Canal and later after other extensions various parts of the Canal were merged to form the Shropshire Union Canal.
The Bridge
This bridge is over a stretch of the canal which was originally part of the Chester Canal, before it became the Shropshire Union Canal.
It is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building
"Roadbridge. c1790. Perhaps supervised by Thomas Telford, consultant engineer for the Chester Canal. Coursed red sandstone. Deep segmental arch spanning the Roman and City Walls ditch increased in depth to provide for the canal 1770s. Moulded bands to voussoirs; damaged panel above crown of arch on each face of bridge; moulded plinths to renewed iron railings in 4 panels between tapered stone piers and 2 panels north of former toll-cottage, west."
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