Canals
Back to 'Things To See & Do'
Shropshire Union Canal close to Coole Hall FarmCheshire was at the forefront of canal building throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The very first commercial canal - the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal - is in the north of the county, while Coole Hall Farm is very close to the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal. It makes a very pleasant walk from the farm - ask us for details. It links with the Shropshire Union Canal at Nantwich Marina canal basin, which is just a few miles away.
The Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal was built by Thomas Telford, and was one of the last canals to be finished. By this time, the building methods had advanced so that canals no longer had to follow the lines of hills but could march across the landscape through deep cuttings and on top of high embankments. The huge flight of 15 locks at Audlem is just 4 miles from Coole Hall Farm - it's all the more impressive when you remember it was all built by men with shovels and wheelbarrows!
Heading for Nantwich
If the thought of all that work makes you thirsty, you can enjoy a quite drink at the famous canal-side pub called the 'Shroppy Fly'. The name comes from the 'fly boats' that used to work on the canal - these were fast passenger boats pulled by horses which could go rather quicker than the sedate pace of the cargo boats. To keep the speed up, the horses were regularly replaced - you can still see one of the old stables where fresh horses were kept at the top of the flight.