Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
were narrow, so there was no point in wasting money and water by building wide. In order to
challenge the railways it was built with deep cuttings, high embankments, grouped locks and
straight lines, so that it was shorter than the Trent & Mersey Canal and had 30 fewer locks.
It was the last canal for Telford, who died six months before it opened. Problems caused
by two landowners resulted in collapsing embankments, deteriorating health for one of our
greatest engineers and technical problems that remain to this day. The link with Birmingham
increased through-traffic.
Steam tugs were introduced in 1842 to tow trains of barges but they proved uneconomical
and horses were brought back. The Shropshire Union Canal was formed by amalgamation in
1845, the following year becoming the Shropshire Union Railways & Canal Company (al-
though the company also used 'Railway'), with an Act to allow the laying of railways along
its canal beds. The canal was leased to the London & North Western Railway and later sub-
sidised by them in order to reach traffic within Great Western Railway and Cambrian Rail-
way territories. The Manchester Ship Canal added more business in 1894 and the route was
profitable later than most. Flyboats ran a twice-weekly 30-hour service between Birmingham
and Ellesmere Port.
Wolverhampton Boat Club's premises
.
The Shropshire Union Canal runs north-west from Wolverhampton to the River Mersey
across New Red Sandstone, through the 30km wide passage of the Cheshire Gate between
the Shropshire and Staffordshire hills and then across the Cheshire Plain, with its dairy farm-
ing. The canal was needed in an area with few large rivers. It has long straights, sweeping
curves, stone-arch bridges and extensive views. It is one of the prettiest canals, rural for 80km
to Chester and often tree-lined.
It leaves the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Autherley Junction in Wolverhamp-
ton. The canal passes under a fine brick towpath bridge and runs through Autherley Stop
