From Autherley Junction to the Manchester Ship Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal includes two navigable branches, the Middlewich Branch and the River Dee Branch.
The Middlewich Branch runs from Barbridge Junction to the Trent & Mersey Canal at Middlewich, whilst the River Dee Branch runs from the main line at Chester to the tidal River Dee.
There is also a Newport Branch, which is derelict but under restoration as part of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals, which joins at Norbury Junction.
The Shropshire Union Canal was formed from a group of canal companies, which became the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company in 1846.
[The photo shows Nantwich Aqueduct – by Edd Leetham]