River Gowy

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The River Gowy is a river in Cheshire, and a tributary of the River Mersey.

It rises in western Cheshire in the hills near Peckforton Castle, very close to the source of the River Weaver. While the Weaver flows south initially, the Gowy flows north and for several miles provides the valley used by the Shropshire Union Canal. It runs just to the east of Chester and passes under the Manchester Ship Canal to meet the Mersey near Stanlow. Its total length is around 20 miles.

Perennially popular with fishermen and home to several rare insects, it has suffered heavily from pollution in recent decades, due in part to the oil refinery and electricity power plant at Stanlow and the arrival of the nearby M53 and M56 motorways, leading to schemes by environmental groups to clean up the area and to restock the fish population.

Its length has been increased over the centuries as land has been reclaimed by draining the marshes. It was on the marshes at Gibbet’s Field near Mickle Trafford that James Brown and Thomas Price were hanged in January 1795 for the abduction and robbery of a mail boy.