Shropshire Union Canal Belvide Round House And Retaining Wall, Belvide Reservoir, At Sj 869103

The Belvide Round House and retaining wall, located at Belvide Reservoir, is a valve house constructed around 1833. It was designed by Thomas Telford for the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, now known as the Shropshire Union Canal. The valve house is a circular building made of dressed stone, topped with a cast-iron dome. It features a pair of studded wooden doors on the south side and a small square opening on the east wall. Inside, the valve equipment is believed to be original. To the west of the Round House is a concave brick retaining wall that is built into the headbank of Belvide Reservoir. This wall has sloping wings and brick copings. The Round House is part of the water control system that feeds the Shropshire Union Canal and houses a 'let-off' valve, which allows water to flow from Belvide Reservoir into a feeder stream and into the canal. This structure is an extremely rare surviving example of an original valve house. The combination of materials and the high quality of design reflect Telford's work on the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, which was constructed between 1827 and 1835.