Shropshire Union (Chester) Canal, Tower Wharf and Taylor's Boatyard

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 25 Jan 2019

Taylor's Boatyard was established in the late-1840s/1850s by the Shropshire Union Railways & Canal Company as their major boat building and repair yard, and the majority of the yard's surviving buildings are believed to have been constructed at this time. Originally the boatyard was larger with a slipway building, travelling crane, and rack saw structures all located at the north end of the present site, but these have since been demolished, along with part of the boundary wall. It is a Grade II listed building (Historic England List Entry Number: 1375715 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1375715 ). Taylor's Boatyard forms part of Chester's inland port, known as 'Tower Wharf', at the once busy junction of the Chester Canal with the River Dee and the Wirral Line. The wharf was a major cargo terminal, utilising narrowboats and larger 'Mersey Flats', and was also a starting point for passengers travelling to Liverpool. Many of the wharf's buildings and features have since been lost or built upon.

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