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Last Canals

Telford’s last foray into canal construction began in 1825 when he surveyed the line for a new Macclesfield Canal. This was to be built in difficult terrain and included a number of locks and aqueducts. Construction started in 1826, Telford visited to conduct a survey of the works in 1829 and by 1831 the canal was complete.

The boat ‘Mary’ at Bosely Lock No. 10 on the Macclesfield Canal.

While the Macclesfield project was ongoing Telford was involved with the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal that he himself had proposed in 1824. The canal was to run from Autherley near Birmingham to Nantwich in Cheshire and became a part of the Shropshire and Union Canal. In 1826 he was appointed engineer to the canal can construction began.

Wappenshall Wharf and roving bridge on the Shrewsbury Canal in 1956.

The canal had one major branch that connected it to Telford’s earlier Shrewsbury Canal at Wappenhall, allowing goods to be carried from Shrewsbury to the rest of the canal system.

Telford’s design for the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal had a number of features to lessen the use of too many locks, these included a large embankment at Shelmore, a deep cutting at Woodseaves, cast iron aqueducts including those at Nantwich and Stretton and a tunnel at Brewood. The embankment at Shelmore caused many problems during its construction; it collapsed on a number of occasions and delayed the completion of the canal until 1835, a few months after Telford’s death.

A horsedrawn narrowboat in the deep cutting at
Woodseaves on the Shropshire Union Canal in 1910.

Stretton Aqueduct on the Shropshire Union Canal being repaired in 1954.

Shelmore embankment in 1960, this view cannot be seen today as the embankment is covered in large trees.