Chester to celebrate 250 years of Inland Waterway History

Chester Canal came into existence 250 years ago and on the weekend of July 30th & 31st the Inland Waterways Association will celebrate that historical event with a boat rally and family event at the Tower Wharf at Taylors Boatyard close to the city centre.

In addition to the rally of canal boats, the celebrations will include live music, marquees, a BBQ, ice cream and trade stands whilst canal societies from around the region will be attending to demonstrate the work they do in maintaining the canals and public interest.

Organised walks are planned taking visitors on history tours of this nationally important city and its waterways. Chester was recently awarded the status of an accredited Heritage Port, the first in the UK

The event, planned in conjunction with the Canal & River Trust, will have reserved berths for registered visiting boats and be opened at 1.00 pm on Saturday July 30^th by the leader of the Cheshire West and Chester Council, Louise Gittens.

Chester`s place in waterway history

It is well known that the Romans recognised the importance of Chester and the River Dee by having a major port basically where the Roodee race course is today however Thomas Telford, the great civil engineer, wanted to link the booming manufacturing towns of the Black Country and Birmingham and to do this he planned a new canal to link with the Chester Canal at Nantwich. The Chester Canal had been a struggling rural canal but when the extension was made from Chester to Ellesmere Port it became an important link in a thriving waterway network that eventually was to serve other areas such as the Potteries and Welsh Borders.

In its heyday the canal was to carry imported raw materials such as iron ore, coal, china clay and grain whilst exporting finished manufactured goods, minerals such as slate, pottery and agricultural products to feed the metropolises of the North.

Jim Forkin Chairman Inland Waterways Association (Chester and Merseyside) said “The Chester Canal was to fulfil a very important role in the economic development of the Midlands, North West and Wales and was first dug at a time before either of the Battles of Waterloo or Trafalgar.  To this day the canal has more boats navigating its waters than ever whilst it is a green corridor for wildlife and a marvellous asset for the community and its well being. The celebration is well deserved”

To find out more go to our website:

 https://waterways.org.uk/support/ways-to-get-involved/events/chester-boat-celebration-campaign

The Inland Waterways Association is the membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers.  IWA is a national organisation with a network of volunteers and branches who deploy their expertise and knowledge to work constructively with navigation authorities, government and other organisations.  The Association also provides practical and technical support to restoration projects through its expert Waterway Recovery Group.