Canals
in Shropshire
Float along our tranquil canals and admire the wonder of the engineering
Shropshire has a long history of canals with some fantastic stretches still regularly used today. Whether you are walking along the towpath or travelling on the water itself, the canals are a wonderful way of seeing more of the great outdoors.
A map showing the canals through Shropshire can be found on the Canal and River Trust website.
The Shropshire Union Canal was completed in 1792. It joined the River Severn at Coalbrookdale and enabled coal, ore and limestone to be transported to the industrial region of east Shropshire. The canal finishes in Ellesmere Port.
You can access the Shropshire Union Canal Montgomeryshire branch at the Llanymynech Limeworks Heritage Site. The Mere at Ellesmere and Colemere are within a short walk of the Shropshire Union Canal.
The Market Drayton Picnic Area is also a short walk away from the canal network.
The Llangollen Canal runs through Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch before meeting the Shropshire Union Canal around Nantwich. When Thomas Telford finished Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in 1805, it was the tallest canal boat crossing in the world. It is now part of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site along with the aquaducts at Chirk and the Horseshoe Falls. Well worth a visit if you haven’t been yet!
To find out more about canal holidays and what to do along the canals have a look at the The Lyneal Trust who make holidays on canal boats more accessible.