The southern extremity of the Ellesmere canal is at Bayley Bridge, a north suburb of Shrewsbury ; from that phrce to Almcnd Park, a distance of 1 mile 7 furlongs, the rise is 107 feet. Northward by Basschurch, Weston, and Shade Oak, to the bottom of thc Frankton Locks, a distance of 14 miles 5 furlongs, is level. At Frank ton four locks ascend 30 feet ; thence to New Martin Moor, 2 miles 7 furlongs, is level. Here two locks as cend 13 feet to the summit of this canal. From this place the canal passes by Chirk to Pontcysylte, 8 miles, and thencc along the water line, up the north hank of the river Dee, to Llandisilio, 6 miles, making this sum mit level 14 miles. On this summit the depth of the valleys through which the rivers pass, the steepness of the banks, and the general ruggedness of the surface, opposed great obstacles to canal making. At Chirk it passes over an aqueduct 600 feet long, and 65 feet high ; (see Plate CCCCXV.) and thence to the south bank of the Dee, it passes one tunnel 500 yards, and another of 200 yards in length, and about one mile of very deep cutting. It then passes the valley of the Dee, upon the greatest aqueduct and embankment ever made for a na vigable canal. The embankment is 1500 feet long, and 75 feet high at one end. The aqueduct is 1007 feet long, and 126 feet 8 inches high. As these will be particularly described afterwards, and illustrated by Plate CCCCXV. we shall at present only observe, that their modes of construction are new, and proved by experience to be suitable. The water line, six miles in length, along the romantic banks of the Dee, up the Vale of Llangollen,is CUE through steep rocky banks to the river Dee at Llan disilio, where a stone weir and sluices regulate the water for the feeder, while the river itself, collecting the streams from an extensive valley in the counties of Denbigh and iNierioneth, and having its source in the lake named Bala Pool, which is nearly four miles in length, affords pro vision for inland nnigation seldom equalled, and all this too above the summit of the countries through which the canal passes, so that supplies can be distributed to the north, the south, and west. Adjacent to the water line are very extensive limeworks and slate quarries. A regulating wier enables Bala Pool to retain flood water, and afford supplies to the river Dee in the summer months.
At Pontcysylte, on the north bank of the river Dee, there is an extensive basin, and from it a double railway ascends gently past Mr. Hazledine's iron works, and through numerous collieries, to Ruabon Brook, a distance of about three miles. The main supply of coal is from this quarter, and, considering the vicinity of ironstone, coal, and limestone, and the facility of water conveyance, it is reasonable to expect that other iron-works will be constructed. The south bank of the Dec at present af fords the greatest supply of limestone which passes along the canal ; but on the north side of the Llangollen valley, the range of Glucig rocks form an inexhaustible stock of excellent limestone.
Haying described one of the canal lines, we must re turn to Frankton Locks, where the other line crosses. From Frankton westward, a line passes near Woodhouse, crosses the Shrewsbury and Holyhead Road, and extends to Aston Moor, where it descends 19 fect by three locks. Proceeding thence, it crosses Macsbury Alarsh, and un der 'Crickheath and Llan)meneech lime rocks, to the eastern bank of the river Verniew, where it joins the Alontgorneryshire canal. From Frankton to this termi
nation the distance is 11 miles 1 fullong. In this dis tance four railways, private property, are laid to bring coal and lime to the canal.
From Frankton eastward, the canal proceeds four nodes to Ellesmere, where a shott branch passes off to the town wilts] fs and warehouses, which are the property of the Earl of Bridgewater. Opposite to this branch stands the canal office, where all the business is trans acted. From Ellesmere the canal proceeds throug'n a shot t tunnel, and along the shores of the meres or lakes to Hampton Bank, where limekilns are constructed. From thence it passes to and across Wexall moss, on the eastern side of which the Frees branch, of three miles passes to other lime works. From Wexall moss the main line proceeds to Glindley-brook lime works, after ex tending a short branch up to the wharfs at the town of Whitchurch. From Frankton to this place, a distance of 17 miles, and including the Prees and Whitchurch branch, 21 miles, is without a lock ; and here it is wor thy of notice, that from the upper end of the water line at Llandiailio, to Grindley Brook near Whitchurch, the canal passes upon the summit level of the country for a distance of 38 miles, with only 13 feet of lockage.
From Grindley Brook the canal passes down a valley for some distance, separating the counties of Salop and Chester, afterwards by Wrenbury lime works to the Chester canal at Ilarleston, abnut two miles from Nant wick, the distance being 12 miles, with a fall of 128 feet by 19 locks. Thus far the canal and locks are formed for boats of 70 feet in length, and 7 feet in width, and has 4 feet 6 inches of water.
We now enter the Chester canal, which commences near the town or Nantwich, and passes, in north-west direction,between,Beeston Castle and the town of Turper Icy, and thence, in nearly a direct line, to Chester, where it joins the Wirrall line of the Ellesmere canal, at the Tower Wharf; and passing three locks and a large ba sin, falls into the river Dee. The distance from Nant vich is 20 miles, the fall 170 fcct. This canal is made for 70 feet boats, and 14 feet beam. It has 4 feet 6 in ches water, which is supplied from the Ellesmere sum mit level. Its acts arc 11 and 17 Geo. III. Was begun in 1772, and completed in 1776. But the rivet Dee, to the westward, being a bad navigation, and thc river Wea VC!' and Grand Trunk Navigation counteracting its ope rations to the eastward, and the Nantwich salt mines hav ing failed, this excellent canal lay totally unemployed, until the Ellesmere was connected at each extremity with the one in 1796, the other in 1805, and of which it now forms a component part.
From the Tower Wharf at Chester the canal passes in a northerly direction across the low land of the Hun dred of Wirrall, to the south bank of the river Mersey, where it terminates in a small bay now called Ellesmere Port. This distance of 9 miles is level. At Ellesntere Port it enters the AIersey by three locks, and at Chester, as we have already said, communicates with the Dee by three locks. It was opened in 1796, and is made for ri ver barges of i 4 feet beam. Its purposes are chiefly commercial, with Liverpool and Manchester.