Rodington Canal Aqueduct
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Rodington Aqueduct |
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This is Rodington Canal Aqueduct that
allowed barges to cross the River Roden. Robert Madeley and his friends will
have known this Aqueduct very well. In the picture the canal can clearly be
seen leaving Rodington and heading off towards Newport, passing Long Lane on
the way.
Also in the picture on the left is the historic Rodington Hall Chimney Stack and Barn. The Aqueduct was designed and built under the supervision of Shropshire Chief Engineer Josiah Clowes. This branch of the Shropshire Union Canal was finished in 1835 and linked the Shrewsbury Canal to Newport. During Robert's childhood and early teens, the canal was at its busiest time. This Aqueduct in Rodington and another further East at Longdon-upon-Tern were built to support the heavy weight of the clay lining and the water that flowed over it. They were also built quite high because the River Roden and the River Tern were prone to extensive flooding. In fact during a year of serious flooding, the aqueduct at Longdon-upon-Tern was so damaged, that the new Chief Engineer Thomas Telford was asked to design an iron one to replaced it. It was a worlds first and still stands today, isolated in a field at Longdon-upon-Tern protected by Grade II listing. This labour of love, the Rodington Aqueduct was demolished in 1971 before it could receive listed protection. |
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