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The Shropshire Union Canal is a Canal linking Wolverhampton (and the Birmingham Canal Navigations ) with the River Mersey . It has been described as the last trunk canal route to be built in England, being completed in 1835 , and it was the last major Civil Engineering accomplishment of Thomas Telford . Most of the canal (the stretch south of the Cheshire town of Nantwich ) was originally constructed as the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal. At Nantwich, it links with what was then known as the Chester Canal ; north of Chester , the route to the Mersey was completed by the northern extremity of the Ellesmere Canal . The stretch at Nantwich is notable for a long sweeping embankment incorporating an Aqueduct carrying the canal across the main Nantwich-Chester road. Further south there are substantial lengths of embankment through the Staffordshire village of Knighton and south of Norbury Junction , deep cuttings at Loynton , near Woodseaves and Grub Street , south of High Offley , plus a 690 yard (631 m) tunnel near Gnosall . From Norbury Junction, a branch ran south-west through Newport to connect with the Shrewsbury Canal at Wappenshall . This branch was opened in 1841 . In 1846 , the Shrewsbury Canal and other canals in the east Shropshire network (linking modern-day Telford with the River Severn to the south at Coalport ) were acquired by the Shropshire Union Railways And Canal Company . Then (in 1847 ), the latter was taken over by the London And North Western Railway Company, which allowed the Shrewsbury Canal and the branch from Norbury Junction to decline. Near Brewood , the canal is fed from Belvide Reservoir . A brief history and some pictures of the 'Shroppie' at Chester, from Steve Howe's 'Chester: a Virtual stroll Around the Walls' may be found here: http://www.bwpics.co.uk/gallery/oldcanal.html Further information about the canal and its Society can be found here: http://www.shropshireunion.org.uk |
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