Locks: Shropshire Union

The Shropshire Union runs 66 ½ miles from the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal at Autherley Junction up to Ellesmere Port where it joins the Manchester Ship canal. On the way it has junctions with the Llangollen canal at Hurleston junction, the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union at Barbridge junction and the Dee branch at Chester junction. The Newport branch used to join at Norbury junction but this is now disused and only the first pound is still open and used for residential moorings.

There are 47 locks on the 66 ½ miles of what is known as the Shropshire Union canal these days. They are all narrow beam single width locks around 7’ 6” in width, apart from those at the far north around Ellesmere Port and Chester which are slightly wider at 9’.

The Shropshire Union was formed from several canals including the Llangollen, Montgomery, Chester and Birmingham & Liverpool canals. The main line, or Shroppie as it is often referred to these days, is the amalgamation of the Chester and Birmingham & Liverpool canals.

As this is a relatively late canal it was built in straight lines which meant building cuttings and huge embankments this in turn meant fewer locks. The older canals tended to be built along contours and were consequently covered more ground for the same distance. It’s amazing to think that these cuttings and embankments were built without today’s modern earth lifting machinery.

Locks 1 - 12 Autherley to Adderley

Locks 13 - 27 Audlem flight

Locks 28 - 47 Hack Green to Chester (Ellesmere Port)