Today the Queen was coming to Chester, and bringing along the newbie Royal Meghan Duchess of Sussex. They had been along to Runcorn to officially open the new road bridge and then were coming to Chester to open the new Arts centre. There were bound to be big crowds.
Where there are big crowds expected I would normally head in the opposite direction but Helen wanted to see if we could get to see them, so head into town. We had a couple of hours wait and got to see them as they got out of their car and stood for the Grenville Tower 1 minutes silence before heading inside for the ceremony. We then went about our business for a short time as they were again due to walk to the Town Hall and on the balcony so we thought we may get a better view. We didn't really. There were4 many foreigners that were caught up with the excitement and people were talking to each other about this and that as they waited so it was quite a nice day. I do like the Royal family but I don't really get standing for hours to catch a fleeting glimpse as they pass at a distance, but there you are.
The old warehouse opposite Tower Wharf is aptly named as Thomas Telford was responsible for its building in 1790. As you can see the nearest part was built so that boats could be unloaded under cover and the three storey block of the building discharged through the doors on each level. It was converted to a pub in the 1980's but suffered a big fire in 2000 before being once more refurbished.
Whilst Helen was getting some lunch together I helped a couple of hire boaters up the staircase just to get my eye in for when it was our turn. I love the way that they are hewn out of the bedrock of sandstone. Helen brought the boat up as I fiddled with the locks and all was smooth as there are not too many paddles to open that could cause flooding if you got them wrong.
The iron railings and the wooden hut set off the middle lock and there are always folk about taking photos here. They are pleased to see a boat moving as it is all added colour for them. Originally the Chester Canal had five locks at the Northgate until it was joined by the canal from Ellesmere Port.
The cut follows the walls of the city and we can see firstly the Bridge of Sighs. Not quite the same as that in Venice, or even that in Oxford but none the less illusions of Grandeur. The road bridge is of Northgate itself that passed through the walls into the city.
At the end of the rock cut canal by the walls is King Charle's Tower. It is called so as it is said the Charles I watched the defeat of his army at Rowton Moor from the tower on 24th Sept. 1645. This can not be true as you can't see the site from here, but he may well have watched the retreat from the battle. The Romans had built a fort in this place but was lost when the left the country. Along this stretch of wall by the canal you can see the original base of the Roman wall that looks in better condition than its later counterpart. A new tower was built in 1613 when it was called Newton Tower as it over looked that area of the city. It later became the home of the City Guilds of the Painters, Glaziers, Embroiderers and stationers and their emblem was the Phoenix so it had also been called the Phoenix Tower.
On the outskirts of the centre is the Steam Mill. It is well preserved when you think that it was built in 1786 and housed the very first steam engine driven mill driven by a Boulton and Watt engine. Actually this building was built over the original mill in 1820's. The original steam engine was replaced in 1827. It has undergone a successful conversion and looks in very good condition.
Mn the opposite side of the canal to the steam mill is the Lead Shot Tower. In the Grosvener Museum can be seen examples of lead ingots from North Wales that were produced in Roam Times and lead was obviously an important commodity of trade for them. When the Chester canal was dug in the 1770's started lead works to set up here. and the industry became very important to Chester in the 19th Century. The shot tower is just about all that remains of the factory that developed her. It was built in 1799 and was used to make lead shot during the Napoleonic Wars. Molten lead was taken to the top of the tower where it was poured through a colander. The lead fell as drops and by the time it landed in a pan of water at the bottom it had solidified. It is one of only three shot towers left. I Hull we have the modern equivalent.
Piped water was introduced to Chester by the Romans but the Broughton Road Waterworks date back to 1851 to 1853 when the water tower, boiler hose and steam pumps were built to create a water system of the locality. The buildings and tower were finished in an Italiante style. In 1913 a diesel engine house was added. This later became the control room but the engines are still there as well as parts of the steam pumps. The tower has been raised twice to increase the pressure and recently the tower, boiler room and engine house have been Listed Grade II to protect it for the future. The site as undergone a £12m refurbishment.
The building with the spire by Hoole lane Lock was built in 1908 designed by a John Douglas. It was a mission church for the boatmen and their families but was attached to the local Church of St. Paul's. It is now a private home. In 1833 there was a proposal for a canal to be dug from Birkenhead at it would have joined the Chester canal close to where the church is via a shallow lock.
Tarvin Road lock makes a nice picture with the lock keepers cottage to the left, the lock itself, built in 1775, and the little round house by the lock that was the former tool house. It is not contemporary with the lock but was built about 1850's. Both however are Grade II listed.
When we got clear of Chester there was nobody on the water point at Christleton so we stopped to fill up. We pushed on a little further to get a bit more of a gap between the canal and the main roads, and find a spot for the sun on the solar panels. I couldn't resist the stonecrop growing out of the bridge as we passed under.
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