Hurleston Locks & Shropshire Union Canal Walk

When you reach the corner of the field, you will see the old footpath route over a now impassable footbridge on your left. Pass through this gap instead and keeping to the right, and then continue straight forwards another 200 meters to the corner of the next field.

The track slopes down to a bridge over a brook. You will see that the ruts have been filled with concrete. Continue along it and you will soon pass the Equine Centre buildings on your right. The track bends left then right to reach the main A51 road. You will reach it after about 200 meters.

Follow the footpath down to the towpath and turn right. Follow the towpath past a flight of four locks and the high bank of the reservoir. There are picnic tables here where you can rest. At Hurleston the canal descends 34 feet via the four Hurleston Locks to the Shropshire Union Canal, and is one of the busiest canals in the country and the gateway to Wales for boaters.

The Hurleston reservoir was built to keep the Shropshire Union Canal down below supplied with water; it was enlarged in 1959 and now has a capacity of 85 million gallons. As well as supplying water for navigating the Shroppie, the reservoir is also used for drinking water. Around 12 million gallons flow along the Llangollen Canal alongside it each day to keep the reservoir topped up. This gives the canal a much higher current than is normal for most canals. The supply flows all the way down the Llangollen Canal from the River Dee, and the horseshoe falls at Llantysilio were built by the canal engineers just for purpose of feeding water into the canal.

Just past the bottom lock, you will reach a horse bridge over the Shropshire Union Canal.

This is bridge 98. Look to your right for a gap in the hedge by a red bin and leave the towpath.

Alternative route: If you have a wheelchair or buggy, continue under the bridge to the next bridge, 99, and re-join this walk at point 18.

Climb over the stile and follow the narrow footpath for a quarter of a mile. First along the line of the trees, and at the end of the field look 45° to the right and in the distance you will see the top of canal bridge 99. Walk directly across the field towards it.

Here is bridge 100. Fork right and climb the steps up to the lane and turn left to cross the bridge. Then immediately turn right, then right again at the ‘T’ junction with Old Chester Road. Look out for the Barbridge Inn. You have now completed the walk.