Hurleston Junction

Hurleston Junction
Hurleston Junction: the Llangollen Canal begins here with a flight of four locks raising the water level more than 34 feet (10.4 metres)
Specifications
Status	Open
Navigation authority	British Waterways
History
Date completed	1796

Hurleston Junction (grid reference SJ625553) is the name of the canal junction where the Llangollen Canal terminates and meets the Shropshire Union Canal main line at Hurleston, Cheshire, England.

The Chester Canal was planned as a broad canal running from Chester to Middlewich, with a branch to Nantwich. It was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1772, but the plans changed and the main line was built from Chester to Nantwich. Lack of finance prevented the construction of a branch to Middlewich. Commercially, the canal was a failure, and after opening in 1779, it lasted eight years until the company collapsed. However, it was reopened three years later in 1790, as the proposed construction of the Ellesmere Canal would make it part of a larger network, and might enable the Middlewich Branch, which would connect with the Trent and Mersey Canal to be built.

The Ellesmere Canal as first envisioned was a huge undertaking, running from the River Mersey to the River Dee and on to Shrewsbury, with branches connecting Ruabon, Llangollen, Bersham, Llanymynech and possibly Whitchurch and Wem. William Jessop was asked to be engineer, and proposed some variations to the route. Opposing factions amalgamated in February 1793, and an Act of Parliament was obtained in April, which resulted in a line from Ellesmere Port to a junction with the Chester Canal opening in January 1797. Work started in early 1794 on a line from Hordley, near Frankton, to Llanymynech, after which it would be joined by the proposed Montgomeryshire Canal at Carreghofa. Llanymynech had extensive limestone quarries, which would provide trade for the canal. The branch was open by autumn 1796, and the first commercial use of the junction was thus in late 1796.