This canal, affectionately known as the Shroppie, was built by Telford in 1828 and links Wolverhampton with Ellesmere Port.

Why is a canal that crosses Staffordshire and Cheshire called the Shropshire Union? Because that was the name of the company that owned this and other canals including those in Shropshire.

The Cheshire Cycleway frequently crosses and follows the canal, such as at Audlem, where boats climb out of Staffordshire and into Cheshire via 15 locks. The change in levels is 93 feet (28m), achieved over 1 1/4 miles. This section is the Birmingham to Liverpool branch where the last mule and horse-drawn traffic ceased in 1954, now replaced by powered leisure craft.

See other pages in this section: The Cheshire mosses, The salt industry, The Macclesfield Canal and The Trent and Mersey Canal