Whitchurch Waterway Trust
Encyclopedia
The Whitchurch Waterway Trust is a registered charity that exists to promote the management and restoration of the Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal
. It was formed in 1988, in response to plans by Whitchurch Town Council to bring the canal back into the town, as a way of promoting tourism.
in 1796, which also allowed the Ellesmere Canal
Company to alter the route of its main line. The main line joined the Chester Canal
at Hurleston Junction, and was opened throughout by 1805. The canal company decided to abandon the planned arm to Whitchurch in 1800, but in 1805 was approached by a group of businessmen who wanted to build both the branch and a short extension to Castle Well, so that the terminus was nearer to the centre of the town.
The canal company decided that it did not have the powers to delegate construction of the arm to the consortium, and so completed the construction of the original route using money borrowed from the businessmen. It was opened on 6 July 1808. The Act of Parliament needed to authorise the extension was not applied for until 1809, and the extra quarter mile (0.4 km) of canal was opened in 1811, featuring a narrow triangular basin at its terminus, rather than the rectangular one shown on the plans.
By 1939 all traffic on the Llangollen Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal
from Hurleston to Llangollen
had ceased, and both the Llangollen Arm and the Whitchurch Arm were formally closed to navigation under the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company Act of 1944. The Whitchurch branch was not reopened when the adjacent section of canal, now re-branded as the Llangollen Canal
, was reopened in the 1950s.
was incorporated on 26 July 1988.
Restoration of the first section of the arm from its junction with the Llangollen Canal to the bridge at Chemistry was completed in 1993, providing overnight and long stay moorings. The Trust is responsible for the management of the arm.
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
. It was formed in 1988, in response to plans by Whitchurch Town Council to bring the canal back into the town, as a way of promoting tourism.
History of the Arm
The Whitchurch Arm was first authorised by an Act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1796, which also allowed the Ellesmere Canal
Ellesmere Canal
The Ellesmere Canal was a canal in England and Wales, originally planned to link the Rivers Mersey, Dee, and Severn, by running from Netherpool to Shrewsbury. The canal that was eventually constructed was very different from what was originally envisioned...
Company to alter the route of its main line. The main line joined the Chester Canal
Chester Canal
The Chester Canal was a canal linking the south Cheshire town of Nantwich with the River Dee at Chester, providing a route for produce from Nantwich to reach Chester and, beyond it, the sea via the Dee estuary.-History:...
at Hurleston Junction, and was opened throughout by 1805. The canal company decided to abandon the planned arm to Whitchurch in 1800, but in 1805 was approached by a group of businessmen who wanted to build both the branch and a short extension to Castle Well, so that the terminus was nearer to the centre of the town.
The canal company decided that it did not have the powers to delegate construction of the arm to the consortium, and so completed the construction of the original route using money borrowed from the businessmen. It was opened on 6 July 1808. The Act of Parliament needed to authorise the extension was not applied for until 1809, and the extra quarter mile (0.4 km) of canal was opened in 1811, featuring a narrow triangular basin at its terminus, rather than the rectangular one shown on the plans.
By 1939 all traffic on the Llangollen Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
from Hurleston to Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
had ceased, and both the Llangollen Arm and the Whitchurch Arm were formally closed to navigation under the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company Act of 1944. The Whitchurch branch was not reopened when the adjacent section of canal, now re-branded as the Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
, was reopened in the 1950s.
The Formation of the Trust
In the early 1980s, Whitchurch Town Council began to consider options for bringing the canal back into the town, as a way of promoting tourism. Following a feasibility study which was carried out by Liverpool Polytechnic, and a public meeting to gauge support for the proposals, the District Council protected the route for the canal in its Local Plan, and the Charitable TrustCharitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
was incorporated on 26 July 1988.
Restoration of the first section of the arm from its junction with the Llangollen Canal to the bridge at Chemistry was completed in 1993, providing overnight and long stay moorings. The Trust is responsible for the management of the arm.
See also
- List of waterway societies in the United Kingdom
- List of navigation authorities in the United Kingdom