Northgate Locks Chester

Northgate Locks on the Shropshire Union Canal at Chester are a staircase of three broad locks, sharing top and bottom gates. Staircase locks were used to climb steeply, and were more economical to build than single locks. The locks fall 10m. Originally there were five locks in the staircase lowering almost to the level of the River Dee, but the lower two were removed in 1797 when the extension to Ellesmere Port was opened. The railway bridge carries the North Wales mainline to Holyhead and the old GWR mainline to Shrewsbury and Birmingham.

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