Walking the canal at Audlem

Each month, the AudlemOnline team sends a 500-word article about the village to the publishers of the Whitchurch Gossip and Market Drayton Gossip magazines.

These excellent publications are widely (and freely) distributed in North Shropshire and many in Audlem see a copy, particularly of the Whitchurch magazine. Many of our readers, however, are outside their distribution area.

We thought you might like to read what we said about the village this month:

Walking the canal at Audlem

Last month in Gossip magazine, many of the volunteers that make Audlem work as a vibrant village were featured. One hard working group we missed were the Towpath Task-force volunteers of the Canal & River Trust working on the Shropshire Union canal in Audlem.

This summer they set about the task of painting all the locks and canal infrastructure on the whole flight of 15 locks which Audlem is famous for. As well as the locks, they painted 165 bollard pins, 2 mile-posts, access point gates, styles, fences and footpath sign posts.

With its canalside pubs and attractive towpath, strolling alongside the locks makes a very pleasant walk with much to see. Interpretration panels by the towpath in Audlem describe the operation of locks and the canal's history.

Touchscreen computers have been installed in Audlem Mill and at the Overwater Marina detailing the life and works of Thomas Telford as well as a wide range of tourist information featuring award-winning films, photographs and information.

The towpath is extremely well maintained and walkers have the choice of a southerly walk towards Coxbank and Market Drayton which passes the majority of the locks.

Kingfishers are seen as are herons, grey wagtails and, above, buzzards which have colonised the area around Audlem. Otters have returned to the canal in recent years.

There has been extensive planting of new trees, bulbs and wild flowers along the towpath.
There are walks off the canal going southward along Audlem Vale (which returns to the village); to Green Lane; to Kinsey Heath and Swanbach; to Coxbank and, nearly a mile beyond the Shropshire border, and about 2 miles from Audlem, to Highfields and to Adderley.

The stretch of canal southwards passes ten of Audlem's fifteen locks and has been described as one of finest walks in lowland England. A mile south of Audlem, just beyond Coxbank and a wooded section of canal is the Cheshire/Shropshire border, unmarked but the basis of Audlem's boast to be 'The First Village of the North.'

Walking northwards along the canal towpath, there is a run of locks which passes Moss Hall (a footpath leads eastward across the pasture in front of Moss Hall back to the village and provides fine views) and then the Old Stables at the Bottom Lock where narrowboats can turn about.

There are views across the lakes at Moss Hall before the canal crosses the River Weaver which flows through a wide flood plain northwards towards Nantwich. Further on, the Overwater Marina is seen to the left and can be reached via footpaths after crossing Bridge 80.

With 11,000 narrow boats a year passing through Audlem, there's normally plenty of activity and much to see with the locks in action and interpretation boards to show how a lock works, life on the canals or information about the canal's builder, Thomas Telford.

Back in the village there's also many attractions and three pubs and several cafes for welcome refreshment.

More details on Audlem's attractions can always be found on AudlemOnline with news every day.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.