Chester Boat Celebration & Campaign

The canal, designed to carry broad beam barges, linked Chester to the Cheshire town of Nantwich. Opening for business in 1779, the venture had a very shaky beginning. Trade failed to develop sufficiently and a costly lock collapse at Beeston almost saw its complete demise in 1787. However, eventually, the canal linked to the national network. This became possible when the Shropshire Union Canal arrived in Nantwich from the Midlands and a link to the Potteries via Middlewich brought more trade. Profitable and well managed, it was to survive until the end of long distance commercial carrying in 1958. As a result, it was just in time for the boom in leisure boating, towpath walking and angling.

Campaigning today

Jim Forkin (IWA Chairman, Chester and Merseyside Branch) says:

“The Chester Canal, like the rest of the network, now serves many purposes from boating to a “green corridor” for both the well being of much of the population and wildlife. Its heritage is incredible and deserves to be celebrated and promoted to the public at large. However we must not forget that there are still sections of the network that, through lack of funds, Canal & River Trust are neglecting and not maintaining and for that reason we are highlighting the issue of the Dee Branch”