Bridge 138 Over Shropshire Union Canal - Stoak, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 15.276 W 002° 51.698
30U E 509230 N 5900601
This brick built single span arch bridge carries a small track over the Shropshire Union Canal.
Waymark Code: WMWBB6
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/07/2017
Views: 1
The Shropshire and Union Canal
The first part of the canal between Ellesmere Port and Chester was started in 1795 and then later extended.
"The canal lies in the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire in the north-west midlands of England. It links the canal system of the West Midlands, at Wolverhampton, with the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, 66 miles (106 km) distant.
The "SU main line" runs southeast from Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Autherley Junction in Wolverhampton. Other links are to the Llangollen Canal (at Hurleston Junction), the Middlewich Branch (at Barbridge Junction), which itself connects via the Wardle Canal with the Trent and Mersey Canal, and the River Dee (in Chester). With two connections to the Trent and Mersey (via the Middlewich Branch and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal) the SU is part of an important circular and rural holiday route called the Four Counties Ring.
The SU main line was the last trunk narrow canal route to be built in England. It was not completed until 1835 and was the last major civil engineering accomplishment of Thomas Telford."
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The bridge
The bridge, known as Dension's Bridge originally carried Church Lane over the canal.
The lane passes ST. Lawrence church on the way to Stoak village. However it was a single lane bridge and not sufficient for modern traffic levels.
This bridge and bridge 136 which carried another minor road to the village have both been superseded by a modern road bridge to the south that now carries the traffic into the village.
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"4/38 Densions Bridge (138) 17.6.82 II
Bridge, c1795 over the Shropshire Union (Ellesmere) Canal. Of the canal company's standard design for minor road bridges. Brown brick, English Bond. Arch of slightly more than semi-ellipse. 2-course plain brick band at road level. Plain near-flush sandstone coping on parapet. Abutments have marked batter."
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