Some canal bridges carry more history than others, and Cow Lane Bridge in Chester is one of them.
Bridge 123E, Chester
On the Fund Britain’s Waterways Facebook group, Shirley Sefton shared a photo from Cow Lane Bridge — number 123E in Chester. It is named after the cattle market that once operated nearby, and opened in 1779 as part of the original Chester Canal. Its launch was marked with a gala: a 70-foot barge carrying passengers and French horns reportedly sailed beneath the city walls.
There is one more claim to fame that is easy to miss. In 1838 the organ built for Queen Victoria’s Coronation in Westminster Abbey was brought up to Chester by barge and unloaded here at Cow Lane, before being carted along what is now Frodsham Street. For a modest canal bridge, that is quite a piece of royal history to have passed beneath it.
You can see Shirley’s original post on the Fund Britain’s Waterways Facebook group.
Why the campaign matters
Bridges like 123E have been part of everyday life in Chester for nearly 250 years, and keeping this heritage open and safe depends on proper, sustained maintenance. Fund Britain’s Waterways is a coalition of more than 160 organisations calling for reliable, long-term government funding for the waterways that hundreds of thousands of us use and love. Without it, more historic canals and structures slip into closure and costly repair.
If you would like to add your voice, please sign the petition at change.org/p/fundbritainswaterways and help spread the word with #FundBritainsWaterways.
