Dee River in Chester

West of Chester, the river flows along an artificial canal excavated between 1732 and 1736. The work was planned and carried out by Dutch engineers, paid by local merchants and the Chester Corporation. It was built to encourage boats to use it, and to reduce problems of sedimentation; from the late seventeenth century, the sediment had prevented the biggest boats from reaching the city, hampering trade. Today it is a popular place for locals to go on their days off, and you can go for a little half-hour trip in one of the boats, which you can catch at the bridge.