The Grade II* listed Nantwich Aqueduct has officially been opened after a two-month restoration project by the Canal & River Trust.
The £235,000 work involved removing layers of old paint from the aqueduct’s structure, replacing a missing cast iron panel, repairs to the stone and brickwork and applying four coats of new paint.
Overhanging vegetation was also removed and new signage and interpretation will also be installed.
Mayor of Nantwich Cllr Andrew Martin and other dignatories gathered for the official reopening today (December 9).
The project was funded by the Trust – the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales – Cheshire East Council, Nantwich Council, The Pilgrim Trust, Acton, Edleston and Henhull Parish councils and Nantwich Partnership.
Marc Evans, project manager for Canal & River Trust, said: “It has been a privilege to have worked on Nantwich Aqueduct over the past eight weeks and to have walked in the footsteps of Thomas Telford.
“The project has been some years in the planning and I would like to say a special thanks to all the funders and volunteers who have made it possible.”
A spokesperson for The Pilgrim Trust added: “The Pilgrim Trust was delighted to support the essential repairs to the iconic Nantwich Aqueduct.
“It is much loved locally as a walkway, vantage point and navigation channel and is an important gateway to the town.”
The structure, dating back to 1826, was designed by Thomas Telford, one of the country’s most revered civil engineers.
The aqueduct carries the Shropshire Union Canal over the A534 Chester Road – one of the main routes into the centre of Nantwich.
Narrowboats used it to carry coal, clay, iron ore and other materials between London, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester and Liverpool.
I’d love to know how on earth that has cost quarter of a million pounds – I’m expecting to see gold leaf!