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Trent & Mersey Tour

EXPLORE ENGINEERING ICE

The Trent & Mersey Canal links the Mersey to the and hence the and thus to Hull. It was the first of the major inland waterways, a key component of the .

The whole project was initiated in 1765 at a meeting of 'the Company of Proprietors of the Navigation from the Trent to the Mersey'. When it was completed in 1777, it was the greatest civil engineering project that had been carried out in England and the first major transport investment since Roman times.

From its earliest days it enabled raw materials and goods to be transported in large volumes and thus facilitated the mass production of consumer goods through cheap and reliable transportation. This had a dramatic effect upon the development and prosperity of trade and industry across the whole county.

(Source: Wikipedia Commons Licence) (Source: National Portrait

The engineer, , always saw the Trent & Mersey Canal as a key part for his ‘Grand Cross’ to link the whole of England. Despite that plan not coming about, it is still the crucial link between Liverpool and Hull and the great Northern and Southern canal systems.

Despite the wide support that enjoy today, James Brindley and the promoters faced determined opposition. Vested interests opposed the alignment, the cost, the feasibility and even the concept of the canal. It was only through the most determined lobbying that the various Acts of Parliament were approved to permit construction.

Today, the canal appears to be a quiet, green, corridor. Yet, when it was opened, entrepreneurs quickly took space along its banks and developed major, national, industries knowing that a connection to the canal would be profitable. Trent & Mersey Canal Tour

The plan was to follow the contours of the land to reduce cost but this still meant major earthworks, flights of locks, wharf developments and five major .

The first sod was cut on July 1766. But James Brindley died in 1772 and , his brother- in-law, previously the Clerk of Works, took over and completed the whole route in 1777.

Within a few years traffic exceeded all expectations and improvements had to be made. The Harecastle , the first and longest transport tunnel ever to be constructed in England, was found to be too narrow, so designed a second tunnel to relieve congestion.

Brindley’s Southern Portal (Source: Wikipedia commons)

Telford’s Harecastle Tunnel Southern Portal (Source: Wikipedia commons)

Telford also made a number of other improvements including straightening some sections and duplicating locks. This map is not to scale and should not be used as a A34 A527 There’s always comprehensive road map. A-Z guides are available for M6 North 1 and the Junction 16 Churchill purchase from the Tourist Information Centre, local North China ay newsagents and bookshops. hell W A50 something going Mitc M6 inald Reg The distance from Royal , , 16 Tunstall on here A500 B5051 to World of is approximately 11 miles. and The canal is directly behind Stoke on Trent Railway North A53 A527 Stoke-on-Trent is a unique 129c Wales Burslem Station. The access to the tow2 path is a five minute walk City affectionately known Grange A34 City Centre Alton Towers WC & Ashbourne from the station entranceA50 toGarden Stoke Road. Hanley as The . With its Tunstall M A52 Trent & Mersey Canal rich industrial heritage it has on St Newcastle- Map reproduced by the kindWillia mpermissions ofDimensions Stoke-On-Trent City Council Leisure Centre under-Lyme respectfully claimed the title 3 Ford Green 6 Rode Hall d S Hall Stoke of World Capital of Ceramics. R c o Fenton s l t l i A53 4 i a A50 The City boasts many visitor h Longton R Freeport Talke n Burslem o Alton w a A500 Towers centres, award winning o d Port Vale r d B Football Club 15 Rd a A50 n o d museums, authentic W o R a ti 5 Burslem o e ra il R st e Park d and factory tours, over 20 A527 po ed m n Stone and the East a a 27 rt F rl The Stafford World of Westport H o Manor R Trentham Wedgwood Lake o o ll House a M i Estate factory shops and t and the South Hotel d t H e 33 S d e d y A34 r a the exclusive Staffordshire t he Royal e en n S Gre 7 Stafford A5051 S M6 t r Barewall H Hoard. Come and visit the o 8 Gallery a p n l n WC e with its e y

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New Vic Etruria a P S M Theatre WC l t Theatre Industrial e treet a Clough S ll • Accommodation Museum R o CULTURAL a t 4 L Bookings d ee tr Bagnall St QUARTER ion S i Basford Alb c e Victoria h c B f ra 18 Hall i r t e e Te t l • Local & Regional e h d h Mitchell e Potteries e c tr 17 ir Newcastle-under-Lyme s S B Arts Centre S Museum & d d a reet t a St Events Tickets

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a y t r a t n e e S W s • Local Souvenirs r t 1 r l S e 2 o t e w 10 t r t s e S e ie S n t r • Maps & Guidebooks d o 3 t Shelton New Roa n te r an t e C o e t t P e 3 l e 115 il r Leek Newcastle-under-Lyme H t Emma w S no Bridgewater Alton d S l e Towers i f 19 d Park & h a c o Ride i R L ek Le Hinde St 8 d oa Located within the R KEY A500 ad nt o C ge R 4 ad lev Re Attraction Potteries Museum & Art Newcastle- oke Ro ela St e nd R eg oad under-Lyme & oll Tourist Information Gallery, Bethesda Street, C Hanley North Staffordshire 113B Hospital Complex 5 Park Shopmobility City Centre,

S ta Parking Stoke-on-Trent, A52 t Staffordshire io ad Stoke-on-Trent n University Ro Rd eek ST1 3DW. ld R L M Market O Mainline Station H on o A52 Stoke-on-Trent a elt a r Sh d Repertory Theatre ts A50 h WC Toilet T: 01782 236000 i d l R l C R l 113A o o o o p e Staffordshire Railway Station p E: [email protected] a r l d t a University e e n v re i St d L a or S 113 www.visitstoke.co.uk n t Police Station Stoke le L d E a e o Works Civic Centre e R 20 & Kings Hall k Other place of interest Visitor Centre a

way R i gs t r H in e o o ill K re t S t a c tr S i Bus Station eet C d V facebook.com/visitstoke WC e hu b r le 21 ch S G Taxi Rank M tr F eet lem WC 112 twitter.com/visitstoke t Fenton Manor in 8 Canal bridge numbers d g S Sports Complex a R Portmeirion d le o a R d s n Leisure Centre 22 n Fenton o o A5007 Park Hall L nd Fenton Country o d Access restrictions L d 110 Park a a Park o o R in place. No motor

R l r l o vehicles except for e Cit y Ro h b ad M c certain allowances. W King 23 Portmeirion n mp Stre hi WC et A a e See visitstoke.co.uk ld t C on R oad e S Grove Road Duk and click on ‘Get Around’ Longton for further information. Town Hall Ba M th Rd A50 s Road Moulton a d rk oa R e e 25 Aynsley ey M n t n a oy L S S China C WC t t u on T r the st o rland e h p R s t t oa n S d W e ra S Gladstone T e S c k 24 ic Pottery Museum tr er Stoke City a m w n d Football Club d m a A5007 o h Ut C to Britannia Stadium C xete Fire Station A50 Normac r Ro Newcastle ot Road ad

A500 Trent & Mersey Canal -under-Lyme Longton Cricket Club A50 A34 A5035 Douglas The Trentham Macmillan Derby//M1 Estate Hospice L ig Alton 26 A5035 h T tw Towers Dorothy Clive r e o The o Garden A34 n d World of Wedgwood World of Wedgwood Trentham t Denby Visitor 33 h R 34 Estate a o Premier a Centre Stone/ m d M6 South Inn Tittensor

Junction 15 27 A34 Stafford R o World of The Trentham a Estate d Wedgwood 32 30 Barlaston Portmeirion 28 29 Dunoon Aynsley Perfect 31 Trentham China Setting Monkey Forest This map is reproduced from the Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Stoke-on-Trent City Council 100024286 2007. visitstoke.co.uk Walk, cycle or bus

The walk is a level, wheelchair accessible, hard surfaced, 6 mile round trip along the Trent & Mersey Canal tow path from Stoke on to Westport Lake. There are cafes and RADAR key toilets at both ends of the route. It is a simple South to North route.

It can be extended to a 10 mile round trip in order to visit the Southern Portals of the two Harecastle Tunnels. The tunnels are closed to pedestrians - there is no tow path.

The Northern Portal can also be visited by foot, via Bathpool Park, an additional 3 mile round-trip. The original route for the horses (Boathorse Road and Acres Nook) is now closed to all traffic. It is strongly advised that this route is not followed.

Brompton cycles are available for hire at Stoke Railway Station www.bromptonbikehire.com

Public transport is available at some locations along the route. Stoke Railway Station to Hanley (Service 25), Hanley to Burslem and Kidsgrove (Service 3) www.firstgroup.com/potteries

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