Ellesmere Wharf & the Llangollen Canal Walk

The crane at the end of the canal arm is a typical London & North Western Railway goods yard crane, made at its Crewe works. The crane has been recently refurbished and reinstalled, thanks to lobbying by the local IWA branch.

To the south of where Tesco’s store now stands was the most significant of the canalside industries: William Clay’s Bridgewater Foundry. This made iron and brass products, mainly for the agricultural industry but also the castings required by the canal company.

To the south of the foundry was the gas works, built in 1832.  Opposite the gas works was the coal wharf.

Continue along the towpath to the right to see the canal office and depot. The canal office (later known as Beech House) was built in 1805–6 as the administrative headquarters of the Ellesmere Canal Company, the committee room being in the semi-circular wing at the end of the building.

Ellesmere Depot can be viewed from the towpath opposite. It is a rare survival of an early 19th century workshop complex, extended in the middle of the century.  The depot is still in active use today, though lock gates and other large items are now made elsewhere. One room includes wooden patterns for ironwork, many of the patterns being over 100 years old.   It is open to the public only on special occasions, such as the Heritage Open Days each autumn.