Shropshire Routes to Roots

8. The Shropshire Union

Ellesmere and Chester combine

The Ellesmere and Chester Canal was formed in 1813 by the merger of the two canals in its title. This was a sensible move, as the two now formed one long canal. The two sections of the Ellesmere Canal now connected with the two ends of the Chester.

Planning a merger

The opening of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal brought much traffic to the Nantwich-Chester-Ellesmere Port section of the Ellesmere and Chester, so a merger of the two canals seemed commercially sensible. They were co-operating in an experiment to use steam tugs between Autherley Junction and Ellesmere Port. The two companies also shared a number of influential shareholders and committee members.

In addition the companies were in competition on the railways and shared ambitions. In 1837, the Grand Junction Railway (GJR) opened its main line from the Liverpool and Manchester Railway near Warrington south to Birmingham. The London and Birmingham Railway (LBR) opened the following year. The Crewe to Chester branch of the GJR opened in 1840. Economic depression meant that railway activity was subdued in the next few years, but by 1844 there were numerous proposals - both serious and fanciful - for covering the country with a network of railways. Canals seemed obsolete.

The railways

In a spirit of 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em', a detailed survey was made to see whether it would be possible to convert much of the area's canal network into railways. The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction would form the nucleus of a railway line between Wolverhampton and Calverley (between Crewe and Chester). This would be an easy conversion, as the canal had been built by Telford virtually to 'railway' standards: almost straight, with tall embankments and deep cuttings.

The second railway proposed, from Crewe to Newtown (via Nantwich, Whitchurch, Ellesmere, Oswestry and Welshpool) would be less easy. These older canals tended to follow the contours more closely and so had too many curves. Nevertheless, following the canal would reduce the amount of land purchase necessary. Two other lines for railways were surveyed: along the Severn Valley from Shrewsbury to Worcester, and from Stafford to Newport, Wellington and Shrewsbury.

The Shropshire Union

In 1845, an Act was passed enabling the Ellesmere and Chester to absorb the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction. The following year Parliament authorised the takeover of the Shrewsbury Canal, the purchase of the Montgomeryshire and Shropshire Canals, and the change in the name of the company to the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company (SURC). It also approved the Wolverhampton-Calverley, Crewe-Newtown and Stafford-Shrewsbury railways.

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