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By act of 1827 the Chester Canal Middlewich Branch runs 10 miles with 3 locks from Barbridge Junction (Shropshire Union Main Line) to Wardle Lock, Middlewich, where it joins the Trent & Mersey Canal. The canal became part of the Shropshire Union system in 1846 that was taken over by the London and North Western Railway within a year. The Trent and Mersey insisted that there should be no direct connection at Middlewich, and instead built the short Wardle Canal and lock to join the two, charging large compensation tolls for traffic passing along it. The canal was the location for trials with locomotive haulage of boats in 1888, using a narrow-gauge engine from Crewe railway works, but no further action was taken.

National Route 5 of the National Cycle Network is a long distance route which when complete will connect Reading and Holyhead via Oxford, Banbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Birmingham, Walsall, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Chester, Colwyn Bay and Bangor. The southern half of the route between Reading and Walsall is open and signed whilst the northern half between Walsall and Holyhead is still under development.