Canals in Cheshire

The Bridgewater Canal runs from Preston Brook, near Runcorn, to Leigh in Greater Manchester. The original section of the canal starts at Castlefield Basin in Manchester city centre where it joins the Rochdale Canal. The canal runs west from Manchester for about 4 miles (6 km), where it splits into two parts at "Waters Meeting" junction. It then passes Hulme Lock, an unused connection to the River Irwell and the Manchester Ship Canal, and a new lock at Pomona which accesses the Ship Canal.

From Waters Meeting, the original part of the canal passes over the Manchester Ship Canal on the Barton Swing Aqueduct at Salford and travels about 15 miles (24 km) to Leigh, where it makes an end-on connection with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The other part of the canal travels about 20 miles (32 km) south-west to Runcorn, passing through the towns of Sale and Lymm, and to the south of central Warrington. At Preston Brook, the canal connects with the Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Trent and Mersey Canal links the River Trent at Derwent Mouth (in Derbyshire) to the River Mersey. The second connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal, which it joins at Preston Brook in Cheshire. Although mileposts measure the distance to Preston Brook and Shardlow, Derwent Mouth is a mile or so beyond Shardlow.

The Peak Forest Canal runs from a junction with the Ashton Canal at the southern end of the Tame Aqueduct at Dukinfield through Newton, Hyde, Woodley, Bredbury, Romiley, Marple, Strines, Disley, New Mills, Furness Vale, and Bridgemont. It terminates at Bugsworth Basin, and there is a short branch at Bridgemont to Whaley Bridge. This canal is just over 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long.

At Marple, the canal crosses Marple Aqueduct and then rises through 16 locks and makes a junction at Top Lock with the Macclesfield Canal.

The Wardle Canal is located in Middlewich, Cheshire, and connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Shropshire Union Canal (Middlewich branch). It is the shortest canal in the UK, at approximately 100 feet (30.5 m) long, and terminates with a single lock (known as Wardle lock).

The Macclesfield Canal runs 26 miles (42 km) from Marple Junction where it joins the Peak Forest Canal, southwards (through Bollington, Macclesfield, and Congleton), to a junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal near Kidsgrove.

The Shropshire Union Canal links Wolverhampton (and the Birmingham Canal Navigations) with the River Mersey.

Where possible, opening dates for the entire length have been used. Otherwise the date indicates when the Act of Parliament was granted.

• 1721 – River Weaver (canalised)
• 1757 – Sankey Brook Navigation – Engineer Henry Berry and William Taylor,
• 1761 – Bridgewater Canal – Engineer James Brindley
• 1772 – Chester Canal
• 1777 – Trent and Mersey Canal – Engineer James Brindley
• 1796 – Ashton Canal
• 1800 – Peak Forest Canal – Engineer Benjamin Outram and Thomas Brown
• 1804 – Rochdale Canal
• 1829 – Wardle Canal
• 1831 – Macclesfield Canal
• 1835 – Shropshire Union Canal – Engineer Thomas Telford and others
• 1894 – Manchester Ship Canal – Engineers Edward Leader Williams