Monument record 10970/0/0 - Port of Chester

The late post medieval port of Chester dates from the canalisation of the river Dee in the mid 18th century, marking the beginning of modern maritime activity in the city.

From the 16th century the port of Chester went into massive decline as the river silted up in the post medieval period as a result of increased use along the river banks by tobacco mills and through the construction of the causeway (precursor to the Old Dee Bridge). Despite a Parliamentary order in 1646 for the removal of the mills and the causeway nothing was done to reduce the silting up of the river until the mid 18th century. In 1732 an engineer named Nathaniel Kindersley was granted permission to canalise the river by the City Corporation and subsequently by Act of Parliament when he was also given extensive powers and the river itself and for land reclamation along the banks of the river. Kindersley is responsible for the present course of the river with its accentuated curve at Chester and subsequent straight cut out to Flintshire. The result was the reclamation of 3979 acres (1610 hectares) along the course of the river. However, the effects of the canalisation process were soon felt as the narrowing of the channel resulted in a faster flowing river and in fact an increased silting along the new banks. The early 19th century saw a rapid decline in trade at the port and by 1850 it was essentially dead, replaced by the port at Liverpool, and later by the canal following the opening of the line north to the Wirral. (3)

<1> Craig R, 1965, Shipping and shipbuilding in the port of Chester in the 18th and early 19th centuries (Article in Journal). SCH5980.

<2> Ward, S. W., 1995, The Course of the River Dee at Chester (Article in Monograph). SCH6323.

<3> Haynes-Thomas G.M, 1948, The port of Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5993.

<4> Herson J., 1995, Canals, railways and the demise of the port of Chester (Article in Monograph). SCH6330.

<5> Robinson H., 1968, Cheshire River Navigation with Special Reference to the River Dee (Article in Journal). SCH5892.

<6> Reid M.L., 2008, The Early Modern port of Chester (Article in Journal). SCH6098.