Llangollen canal: The final narrows before Llangollen

Llangollen canal wharf

The Llangollen Canal is a canal in England and Wales.

What is today known as the Llangollen Canal was originally the centre section of the Ellesmere Canal, and later became part of the Shropshire Union Canal network. Only with the increasing popularity of pleasure boats was it renamed the Llangollen Canal in an effort to attract more visitors.

Today, the canal links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere in north-west Shropshire.

History

The Ellesmere Canal was intended to link the River Mersey at Netherpool (now known as Ellesmere Port) with the River Dee, and from there via Overton (south of Wrexham) to the River Severn at Shrewsbury. This proposed canal would have branches, to the iron making and coal mining areas at Bersham between Wrexham and Ruabon, and to Llanymynech, where the end of the proposed Montgomeryshire Canal was. However, there were also suggestions that it would be better to take a more westerly route from the Dee to the Severn, passing directly through the Ruabon industrial area, and it was this proposal which was accepted. This route included a high level crossing over the Dee at Pontcysyllte, and a tunnel and aqueduct near Chirk.

The Ellesmere Canal was never finished as intended, and the central section was only built from Trevor to Weston Lullingfields, via Lower Frankton. Instead the centre section was extended westwards from Trevor, through Llangollen to Horseshoe Falls, a weir on the River Dee, as a navigable feeder. The canal was extended eastwards from Frankton Junction via Ellesmere and Whitchurch to Hurlestone Junction near Nantwich, on the then rival Chester Canal.

The Ellesmere Canal merged with the Chester Canal in 1813.

A merger with the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal in 1845 was followed in 1846 by the formation of the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company, making the canal part of the Shropshire Union Canal network.

Decline

Traffic on the canal greatly declined after a breach on the line to Newtown, Powys (now considered part of the Montgomery Canal) in 1936. By 1939 traffic on the line from Hurleston to Llangollen had ceased, and the canal was formally closed to navigation under the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company Act of 1944. However, the line was retained to facilitate waterborne maintenance of bridges, as a water feeder for the Shropshire Union Canal main line and for drinking water supply to the reservoir at Hurleston. An agreement in 1955 with the Mid & South East Cheshire Water Board secured the line's future.

On 6 September 1945, due to inadequate maintenance, the canal breached its banks east of Llangollen near Sun Bank Halt. The flow of water washed away the embankment of the railway further down the hill. This caused the first train in the morning, a mail and goods train to crash into the breach, killing one and injuring two engine crew[1] [2].

Resurrection

The canal undergoing restoration

In the late 20th century canal usage for leisure boating grew in popularity. The "Llangollen Branch of the Shropshire Union" became popular due to its aqueducts and scenery. The canal was renamed the Llangollen Canal, and become the most popular canal for holidaymakers in Britain.

A canal boat traverses the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

The canal's most notable features include the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, an aqueduct engineered by Thomas Telford to carry the canal over the valley of the River Dee east of Llangollen. Another aqueduct carries the canal over the River Ceiriog at Chirk, and there are tunnels nearby at Whitehouses, Chirk, and Ellesmere.

The canal also forms the boundary on two sides of the Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve.

Route

Hurleston to Frankton Junction

Hurleston to Frankton Junction

legend Hurleston Junction (Shropshire Union Canal main line) Hurleston Lock Hurleston Lock Hurleston Lock Hurleston Lock 1 A51 Road Bridge 1A Hurleston Bridge 2 Bache House Bridge 3 Martin's Bridge 4 Lees Bridge 5 Platts Bridge 6 Wrexham Road (Ravensmoor) Bridge Swanley No 2 Lock 8 Swanley Bridge 9 Butcher's Bridge Swanley No 1 Lock 10 Stonely Green Bridge 11 Bethills Bridge 12 Hall's Lane Bridge 13 Grange (Greenfield) Bridge Baddiley No 3 Lock Baddiley No 2 Lock 14 Baddiley Bridge Baddiley No 1 Lock 15 Wrenbury Heath Bridge 16 Wrenbury Heath Footbridge 17 Wrenbury Hall Bridge 18 Starkeys Bridge 19 Wrenbury Church Bridge 20 Wrenbury Bridge 21 Wrenbury Frith Bridge 22 Thomason's Bridge 23 Church Bridge Marbury Lock 24 Steer Bridge 25 Quoisley Bridge Quoisley Lock Willey Moor Lock Povey's Lock 26 Jackson's Bridge 27 Railway Bridge 28 Grindley Brook No 1 Bridge Grindley Brook Lock Grindley Brook Lock Grindley Brook Lock 29 Grindley Brook No 2 Bridge Grindley Brook Staircase Lock (3 chamber) 30 Danson's (Dawson's) Farm Bridge 30A A41 Road Bridge 31 New Mills Bridge Whitchurch Arm 31A A41 Road Bridge 32 Wrexham Road Bridge 33 Hassell's No 1 Bridge 34 Hassell's No 2 Bridge 35 Spark's Bridge 37 Dudlestone Bridge 38 Old Man's Bridge 39 Cambrian Railway Bridge 40 Blackoe (Hughes) Bridge 41 Springhill Bridge 42 Tilstock Park Bridge 43 Platt Lane Bridge 44 Roundhorn Bridge 45 Morris Bridge Prees Branch 46 Roving Bridge 47 Cornhill Bridge 48 Bettisfield Bridge 49 Clapping Gate (Knowles) Bridge 50 Hampton Bank Bridge 51 Lyneal Lane Bridge 52 Greaves Bridge 53 Lyneal Bridge 54 Miss Each Bridge 55 Little Mill Bridge 56 Burns Wood Bridge 57 Ellesmere Tunnel (80m) 58 Red Bridge Ellesmere Arm (with White Bridge 59 over) 60 Stank's Bridge 61 White Mill Bridge 62 Coachman's Bridge 63 Clay Pit Bridge 64 Val Hill No 1 Bridge 65 Val Hill No 2 Bridge 66 Val Hill No 3 Bridge 67 Broom Farm Bridge 68 Pryce's Bridge 69 Peter's Bridge Junction with Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal Junction with Llangollen Branch of the Ellesmere Canal

The canal at Hurleston Junction rises from the Shropshire Union Canal main line, through four adjacent locks.

Wrenbury lift bridge is operated by use of a British Waterways key, and involves lowering barriers and stopping traffic on a sometimes-busy road.

At Grindley Brook the canal passes through three locks and a three-chamber staircase lock, attended during summer months by a lock keeper.

At Whitchurch a short arm of the canal remains open. Originally this continued almost to the centre of the town, though sections have since been built over. Whitchurch Waterway Trust promotes the restoration of this arm.

Between bridges 44 and 47 the canal passes through Whixall Moss.

Adjacent to bridge 46 is the Prees Arm of the canal. Originally intended to reach Prees, it was only constructed as far as Quina Brook, and today is only open for a short distance, with a marina at the end.

Between bridges 54 and 57 the canal passes the Ellesmere meres.

At Ellesmere there is a short arm towards the town.

The canal also passes though Burland, Quoisley Bridge, and Bettisfield.

Frankton Junction to Trevor Basin

Frankton Junction to Trevor Basin

legend Junction with Ellesmere Branch of the Ellesmere Canal Junction with Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal 1 Rowson's (Frankton Junction) Bridge 2 Nicholas Bridge 3 Rodenhurst Bridge 4 Maestermyn House Bridge 5 Maestermyn Bridge 6 Pollet's Bridge 7 Broom's Bridge 8 Paddock No 1 Bridge 9 Paddock No 2 Bridge 11 Hindford Bridge New Marton Bottom Lock New Marton Top Lock 12 New Marton Bridge 13 St. Martin's Bridge 14 Sarn Bridge 15 Preeshenlle Bridge 16 Belmont Bridge 17 Moreton Bridge 18 Rhoswiel Bridge 19 Gledrid (O'Leord) Bridge 21 Monk's (Chirk Bank) Bridge Chirk Aqueduct Chirk Tunnel (459 yards) Chirk Marina 25 Whitehouses Tunnel (191 yards) 26 Whitehouse Bridge 27 Irish Bridge 28 Fron Bridge Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Llangollen navigable feeder 29 30 Trevor Basin

The canal passes through Hindford, Saint Martin's, Preesgweene, Chirk Bank, Chirk and Froncysyllte.

Trevor Basin to Horseshoe Falls

Trevor Basin to Horseshoe Falls

legend Ellesmere Main Line junction 31 Rhos-y-coed Bridge 32 Roving Bridge 33 White Bridge 34 Plas-yn-y-pentre Bridge 35 Millar's Bridge 36 Bryn-Ceirch Bridge 37 Plas-Isaf Bridge 38 Bryn Howel Bridge 39 Great Western Railway Bridge 40 Plas Ifan Bridge 41 Sun Trevor Bridge 42 Wenffrwd Bridge 43 Llanddyn No 1 Bridge 44 Llanddyn No 2 Bridge 45 Siambra-Wen Bridge Llangollen Wharf Llangollen Marina Limit of navigation 46 Pen-y-ddol Bridge 47 Tower Bridge 48 Pentrefelin Bridge 48A Ty-Craig Bridge 49 Llantisilio Bridge 49A King's Bridge Horseshoe Falls Gauging Station

This section was built as a navigable feeder and is both shallow and narrow. Some sections near Llangollen are too narrow for boats to pass and it is necessary to scout ahead to check for oncoming boats.

Navigation by powered craft is prohibited beyond the entrance to Llangollen Marina and the final section is used only by the horse drawn trip boats. BW maintains a gravel Shoal immediately upstream of the marina entrance at Llangollen Wharf. This maintains a draft which most narrowboats cannot pass, but which is passable by the shallow drafted trip boats.

A marina was constructed by British Waterways, close to Llangollen Wharf, in 2005 to relieve the acute shortage of casual moorings. It was intended to be larger, but local opposition restricted it to its present size.^{citation needed} A charge is made for all overnight mooring at Llangollen, and there is a 48 hour limit on moorings.

References

• Denton, John Horsley (1984). Montgomershire Canal and the Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal. Lapal Publications. ISBN 0950923818. 
• Waterways World (2005). Canal Guide 2 - Llangollen and Montgomery Canals. Waterways World Ltd. ISBN 187000289X. 

Coordinates: 52°58′20″N 3°10′16″W / 52.9722, -3.1711