The Shropshire Union Canal

Stunning views of the Cheshire countryside, sleepy villages, historic canalside pubs, atmospheric cuttings and an abundance of wildlife

The charminghly rural Shropshire Union Canal stretches from Autherley Junction near Wolverhampton in the South, to Ellesmere Port in the North. Affectionately referred to as “The Shroppie”, the canal covers 77 miles, including its 10-mile Middlewich Branch and quarter-of-a-mile long River Dee Branch.

There are 47 locks along the main line, four along the Middlewich Branch and three on the River Dee Branch. With long stretches with no towns for miles, the Shropshire Union Canal is great for getting close to nature.

The northern section is a wide waterway, running through the gently rolling Cheshire landscape. While the arrow-straight southern section features long embankments, cuttings and grand bridges, and fewer locks.

These deep mossy cuttings are atmospheric and full of wildlife, giving keen-eyed boaters the chance to spot the flashing blue of a kingfisher in flight, and other waterway wildlife.