This collection of pages shows pictures taken on the Shrewsbury Canal starting in the early 1970's, with others taken more recently. The great majority are images scanned from slides, and are available on application to me in far greater resolution.
When I lived in Wellington I could see the guillotine superstructures of Hadley Park and Turnip Locks on the Trench Arm from an upstairs window of our home near Wrekin College, where I taught between 1969 and 1978. Fairly early on during my time there I realised that many sections of the local canals were disappearing rapidly. Bridges which were present one day had gone when I passed by a few weeks later. A particular case in point was Rodington Lift Bridge at the eastern end of Rodington Embankment, and Rodington Aqueduct itself.
Because of this I determined to make a photographic record of the canal, along with the Newport Branch, before it was too late.
In addition, permission was obtained to clear the locks and towpath in the Hadley Park area, and a group of enthusiastic jungle bashers was formed called the Wrekin College Canal Restoration Group, and some of their work, along with the deterioration since work stopped in 1978, may be seen in these photographs.
Newport Branch
Shropshire Union
Canals of the West Midlands
Main Index
I have given a number of slide shows to waterway societies in the past.
The two main titles I have used are 'Locks, Bridges and Tunnels' (a personal view of the many features to be found on both UK and overseas waterways), and 'The Shrewsbury and Newport Canals' (a look at the two waterways illustrated with both old and recent images, including many not shown here for copyright reasons).
Now living in Lincolnshire, I would be happy to talk to any organisation in the East Midlands, or even further afield.
If you wish to get in contact, feel free to mail me at mail me, taking the 'penny' out of this address and please include the word 'canal' in your subject line to avoid your email falling into my spamtrap!
Shrewsbury Canal
Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v9 12th May 2015