Nantwich Aqueduct, listed building in Cheshire East

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What is recorded here

Thomas Telford advised on Nantwich Aqueduct around 1826, using a single iron arch and bolted iron water trough to take the canal over the Chester road. The bridge belongs to a small group of similar Telford designs and received a recognised restoration in 2015.

What this place is

Nantwich Aqueduct is a one-span iron canal bridge at Acton, carrying the main Shropshire Union Canal above the road between Chester and Nantwich.

People and events

Thomas Telford served as consulting engineer when the aqueduct was made around 1826. He used related iron-trough designs for canal crossings at Congleton and Stretton.

How it was used

A ribbed iron arch carries a broad watertight trough with towpaths on both sides, letting boats, horses and canal water pass above road traffic without interrupting either route.

What survives

The iron arch, five bolted trough panels, brick and stone supports, curved retaining walls and iron railings remain. Restoration in 2015 was recognised by a national waterways award the following year.

Why it mattered

Nantwich shows Telford using factory-made iron parts to achieve a lighter canal crossing than a solid stone bridge, while carefully finished walls and railings gave the practical work a dignified roadside face.