The Canal and Rivers trust are carrying out their winter engineering programme and are currently working on the Shropshire Union canal at Ellesmere port. The work is to drain the canal lock and replace the lock gates. This section of the Shropshire Union Canal was built in 1797 at the height of the canal building frenzy in Britain. It was Thomas Telfords last large civil engineering project. The Shropshire Union canal or the Shroppie as its affectionately known ends at this northern section and boats can gain access to the Manchester Ship canal. Previously to the Manchester Ship canal being built the canal basin sent boats directly to the River Mersey Estuary and onwards to Liverpool and Birkenhead and also out into the Irish sea. This is a canal history video as after we look at the canal lock we go into the national waterways museum. Amongst the many interesting exhibits in the boat museum we also see an original starvationer boat. The starvationer boats were very common in the mines at Worsley on the Bridgewater canal. This is a video about British canal waterways. The Canal and Rivers trust and Canal History in the UK. We also see how the new lock gates look and they are made of Oak. A great family video about canal conservation.