PRESTON BROOK
Where ducks, boats, and people all have right of way.
The Full Story
About Preston Brook
Preston Brook is a Cheshire village that sits on The Bridgewater Canal, along the famous Cheshire Loop. Often described as the first true canal in England, a pioneering feat of 18th-century engineering and economic history. The Bridgewater Canal runs from Manchester through Preston Brook where it divides into two branches. One branch leads to Runcorn where it used to join the Manchester Ship Canal, and before that the River Mersey, while the other branch joins the Trent and Mersey Canal at the Preston Brook canal tunnel. Mooring is available in Preston Brook Marina.
Preston Brook Tunnel
The Parish proudly serves as a home for the Grade II listed Preston Brook Tunnel, now 250 years old and a landmark widely regarded as a keystone of the Industrial Revolution. As the northern portal linking the Bridgewater Canal to the Trent and Mersey Canal, it became the critical artery through which coal, pottery, farmed goods, and raw materials passed from the Midlands to the manufacturing centres of the North, fundamentally shaping Britain’s industrial ascent. To this day, legging is the only way to navigate the tunnel - with boaters lying on the boat's roof and using their feet to push off the tunnel walls, walking sideways to propel the boat forward through the mile-long tunnel.
The Parish Council
Preston Brook Parish Council is a democratic unit with an active Parish Council that has eight elected members who assemble for eleven Full Council meetings each year. Preston Brook is a civil parish in the borough of Halton, a unitary authority in the county of Cheshire in North West England.
​
The Council works in the community with various groups, giving a voice to residents and ensuring the Parish continues to flourish by supporting activities, responding to and commenting on planning applications, addressing concerns of residents, improving public realm, and lobbying for improved road safety measures.
Vision
Our vision for the parish is to enhance and celebrate its historical identity, bring people together, and demonstrate that through the upcoming growth of the Parish we can balance character with ambition.
Projects
The parish council is currently working on a number of public realm improvement projects - more information can be found in the minutes of meetings. The Council is also working with residents to develop a Neighbourhood Plan to protect the community as it grows.