Monument Type(s):

• CANAL (Late 18th century to Early 20th century (pre-war) - 1794 AD to 1913 AD)

Summary

The construction of the Ellesmere canal began in 1794 and was completed in the early 19th century.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA6275 - 2008 DBA and site visit of land at Ellesmere Creamery by OAS
• ESA6742 - 2010 DBA and walkover assessment along proposed Vyrnwy pipeline (Oswestry to Penley) by Oxford Archaeology North
• ESA7234 - 2014 DBA and walkover survey adjacent to canal, SW of Ellesmere, Shropshire by Castlering Archaeology
• ESA7810 - 2008 Conservation Management Plan for Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal WHS by Purcell Miller Tritton
• ESA8206 - 2017 DBA of land off Wrexham Road, Whitchurch by JLL Ltd (Ref: 17/01152/FUL)
• ESA9359 - 2020 DBA on land off Wrexham Road, Whitchurch by JLL Ltd (Ref: 20/03529/FUL)

Description

Act of Parliament 1793. Engineer William Jessop. Cutting of section from Pontycysyllte to Chirk, Clwyd and on to Hordley began 1794. Chirk aqueduct (SA 13171) constructed 1796 -1801 which opened a waterway 8 miles long from Chirk basin at N end of aqueduct to bottom of Welsh Frankton locks. Work on the length from Welsh Frankton (SJ3732 eastwards) towards Whitchurch started in Feb 1797 and reached Tilstock park (SJ5137) by 1804. Quarter mile branch into Ellesmere itself and at the junction the canal company built their offices. From the main line at Whixall Moss the branch intended for Prees Higher Heath on road to Market Drayton and Wellington, but by about 1806 had only been made 3 3/4 miles to Quina Brook where limekilns erected. Work began on junction line from Tilstock park to Hurleston, Cheshire late 1802 and completed March 1805. Extension made from Grindley Brook, 2 miles from Whitchurch, to Sherryman's Bridge July 1808, and into Castle Well in 1811. Amalgamated with Birmingham and Liverpool Junction canal (SA 3411) in May 1845. Became part of S.U.R &CC 1846, leased to LNWR 1847. part of LMSR 1922. To British Transport Commission/ British waterways 1947. ->

-> Canal intended to link Shrewsbury with the Dee and Mersey. In 1791, a group representing iron, coal, and related industries around Ruabon, became interested in linking their industries to the Severn at Shrewsbury, and the Dee at Whitby Wharf, now Ellesmere Port. Two alternative plans for the network were proposed, with the second, the so-called `Western Branch' proposal being adopted. The link with the Mersey had to be achieved by sharing the Chester Canal from the terminus on the Dee to Hurleston. The first section, completed in 1795 linking Chester with Whitby Wharf, was 8.75 miles long with 3 locks. Exceptionally on this section, the boats were 74 feet 1 inch long with a beam of 14 feet 3 inches. (Boats on the other sections were 72 feet 6 inches long with a beam of 6 feet 10 inches). The Pontcysyllte-Weston line opened in 1805, was 17.75 miles long with 6 locks. The section from Hurleston (on the Chester Canal) to Frankton is 29 miles long with 19 locks, and was opened in 1805. The section between Frankton and Carreghofa (on the Montgomery Canal) was 11 miles long with 3 locks. The Prees Branch was 3.75 miles long with no locks. Opened in 1804, it never reached Prees, being halted at Quina Brook. In 1813, the Chester and Ellesmere Canal companies amalgamated to form the Ellesmere and Chester Canal Company. In 1845, the Company absorbed the Birmingham and Liverpool Canal Company, and in the following year was reformed as the Shropshire Union Canal and Railway Company. By 1939, all of the branches except the Pontycysyllte-Weston-Hurleston Junction had closed. Restoration of the Frankton-Carreghhofa Branch is being undertaken. <2>

Between SJ3546 2930 and SJ 3517 2769 is an isolated ditch marked as Old Canal. This was a diversion to bring the canal near to Woodhouse, owned by Mr J R Lloyd, who paid for it. Then it was decided to revert to the original line. <3>

In 1978 and 1979 A & B Tyler took colour slides (subsequently numbered Tn) of various features along this canal. From W to E these included:- (T53) Boat House Bridge at SJ4005 3433, (T68) an outbuilding at the canal branch junction at SJ4890 3520, (T47) Waterloo Bridge-Prees branch (SJ4977 3314), (T48) & T49) Warehouse at Edstaston-Prees branch (SJ5168 3218), (T5) Canal junction at SJ529 415-?with lifting bridge?, (T6) the canal bed at SJ529 415 and (T46) Chemistry Bridge-Whitchurch branch (SJ531 418) <7>

Large embankment at SJ 29596 37031 on the south side of the Ceiriog Valley; the start of the section of highly engineered canal through difficult terrain to Trevor. State of conservation: fair. NPRN: 405776. Considerable rock cutting in hillside at SJ 28906 37130, to accommodate the canal as it swings north to cross the Ceiriog Valley, with a large earthwork bank opposite. State of conservation: fair. NPRN: 405780. <27>

A desk based assessment of the Vyrnwy Pipeline, carried out in 2010, assessed that the proposed works could have an impact upon this site. Consultation with English Heritage was recommended. <30>

A desk-based assessment undertaken of a proposed canalside site to the SW of Ellesmere, assessed the significance of the canal and associated infrastructure in this area. The construction of the Ellesmere Canal, now part of the Shropshire Union Canal system, began with the inaugural meeting on 31st August 1791 held in Ellesmere and consequently giving the branch its name. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1793 and William Jessop (1745 –1814) was appointed as the civil engineer with Thomas Telford (1757–1834) as General Agent. The initial proposal to join the River Severn at Shrewsbury to the River Dee at Chester and continue to the Mersey Estuary was never achieved. The founders of the Canal Company were landowners mainly interested in bettering the communications for their estates, including the Duke of Bridgewater and several industrialists, and transporting coal, ore, iron, limestone and sand from source to the markets. ->

-> The branch of the canal that passes south of the town and the short arm to the town basin was completed c.1804, linking sections already built. ->

-> This report includes discussions of a number of canalside buildings/structures - see child records. <31>

Elements of the canal photographed during aerial survey in 2007 and 2010. <32><33>

A conservation management plan was prepared in 2009 for the Pontcysyllte World Heritage site, including a gazetteer of heritage assets (mainly focused on the Welsh side). ->

-> The Llangollen Canal, formerly known as the Ellesmere Canal, was promoted by a group of Shropshire landowners who wanted improved trade routes for the export of agricultural products and who also wanted to develop the new centres of industry that were emerging around the coal fields and iron works along the Welsh border. In 1793 they obtained an Act of Parliament for the canal’s construction and set up the Ellesmere Canal Company. A Committee was set up and raised money through the sale of shares in the company. William Jessop was employed as Civil Engineer and Thomas Telford carrying out the duties of architect, engineer, overseer and numerous other tasks involved in the day to day running of the project. <34>

Discussion of the route of the Ellesmere, later Llangollen Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, around Whitchurch. The main line of the canal which was due to link the Rivers Severn and Dee was never completed and finished to the north of the Trevor Basin and ended southwards in a field near Weston Lullingfields. The canal continued to be used despite the competition with road and rail, however canal traffic declined in the 1930s and the branch into Whitchurch was officially abandoned by an Act of 1944, much of it was subsequently filled in. <35>

The Ellesmere Canal was a scheme promoted by an Act of Parliament in 1793, and was designed by Principal Engineer William Jessop, one of the most important canal and dock engineers of the time. Thomas Telford acted as the General Agent, before he became one of the most well known and important engineers of the day. The western part of the canal cuts through very steep sided hills and valleys which required a complex engineering solution. The section at Chirk Bank has a significant example of terrace embankment standing up to 18.3 metres high, and leads to what was the highest aqueduct in the world when it was built in 1801. <36a>

Sources

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