Bridge 72 takes Meadow Lane belongs to the ‘Staffs. & into where boaters Worcester.’ Company’s design! (frequently called ‘The T. & M.’) stabled their horses at the pub. This bridge also acts as a ‘winding hole’. Shugborough Carriage Bridge is unnumbered because it was built Acknowledgements. later by the for Ref. 1 Historic Waterway Scenes, carriage access from Shugborough The Trent & Mersey by Peter Hall (now National Trust) to go to Lead. ‘The Trent & Mersey Canal’ (fre- Church. Being more recent it is of Ref. 2 ‘ – The First quently called ' The T. & M.) is a totally different design and has Canal Builder’ by Nick Corble. 93 miles in length and goes from metal sides. A second bridge used Ref. 3 Many mileposts have been Colton Preston Brook (Runcorn – near to continue across the . replaced by the original foundry. milepost ) to Shardlow (near Ref. 4 ‘Waterways World’ July (after the Derby). Having been responsible Bridge 73 is beside Haywood 2005 – Brindley’s Bank & Colton aqueduct) for surveying and engineering ‘The Lock (with a 4′ 2″ rise) and the Mill by Tom Foxon. Duke of Bridgewater’s Canal’ Lock House (now a restaurant). It Text and research by Julie Thorn, James Brindley was appointed is a high humped bridge the width additional information, David and surveyor for ‘The T. & M’. The of a horse and cart and leads to the Dorothy Bradbury. Acts of Parliament to build both famous narrow Essex Packhorse Editors Gill Sykes/Gay Lawrence. ‘The Trent & Mersey’ and ‘The Bridge and . & Worcestershire Along the main road there used to “The Local Heritage Initiative is a Canals’ were passed on the 14th be a forge for making horses’ national grant scheme that helps local May 1766. After various problems groups to investigate, explain and care shoes. for their local landscape, landmarks, In the mid 1700’s the desperate ‘The T. & M.’ was finally traditions and culture. The Heritage need to transport large quantities completed in 1777. During those has a roving Lottery Fund (HLF) provides the grant of coal cheaply and manufactured 11 years 600 men worked very bridge which meant that horses but the scheme is a partnership, goods like pottery safely - where hard building it with picks, spades towing boats up and down ‘The T. administered by the Countryside Agency horses and carts could not cope on and barrows. Sadly James Brindley with additional funding from Nationwide (Ref. 2) & M.’ could cross over the ‘Staffs. Building Society”. the appalling roads of - died in 1772. & Worcester.’, or they could go resulted in rich landowners and round on a turnover bridge (like factory owners (such as Josiah In 1795 there were 211 boats Colton) to go on to the tow path Wedgwood at Stoke-on-Trent and registered on the ‘T. & M.’ to nine for ‘The Staffs. & Worcester’ the brewers at Burton-on-Trent) companies. Elizabeth Marsh of without the need to unhitch the forming companies to build, run Colton had one boat and is both horse. When standing on the Reproduction of this publication in and profit by canal transportation. the only local person mentioned bridge it is worth noticing that the whole or part without the prior There was a meeting at Wolseley and the only woman listed. (Ref. 1). two bridge sides/parapets are of approval of the Society is strictly Bridge, , on 30th Decem- Much of the canal looks the same different styles – one being the ‘T. forbidden. Copyright Colton ber 1765 to discuss the building now as when it was built. This & M.’ bridge design and the other History Society 2006. of such a canal. (Ref. 1) early canal followed the contours of the land, as far as possible, to horse and cart to where banks were There is an aqueduct over the blows, not a clock key turning) save on locks and tunnels and needed. River Trent with the tow path on where boats up to 72′ (23 metres) therefore tended to be longer. The Between and the Great one side of the canal and the public could be turned by using the wind later gradient canals went the Haywood Junction with ‘The footpath on the other side. and a long pole. There is another shortest route with more locks and Staffordshire & Worcestershire winding hole at Haywood Junc- tunnels to save costs on journey Canal’ (often called ‘The Staffs. & The next bridge is Bridge 68 and tion. times. Cast iron mileposts show Worcester.’) there are examples of is Colton turn-over bridge, where the distance to the two ends of the most sorts of bridges and other the tow path changes side and so Wharf Cottage was built in about canal. (Ref.3) canal features found on the ‘Trent the horse which was towing went 1778 as a canal worker’s cottage, & Mersey’. up the ramp, over the bridge and but its original wharf purpose is There are many different types of down the ramp (on the same side unknown. Opposite on the tow bridges crossing the canal and over Leaving Rugeley (towards The of the bridge as the boat), so that path is a storm water sluice to a the course of time a lot have had to Haywoods) at the bend by the the rope did not have to be field ditch, which prevents this undergo repair, but some still look ‘Bloody Steps’ there was a wharf unhitched from the loaded narrow section of the canal flooding. the same as when they were first for coal-boats to unload for the boat, and then the horse went built. Those which have been built Brindley Bank Pumping Station under the bridge to continue Bridge 69 is Taft Bridge which is since were usually to carry the rail- which pumps water from a bore- towing along the tow path, now on an accommodation bridge and way or a new main road over the hole to a reservoir. the opposite side of the canal – was built for the sole use of the canal and lack the high ‘hump’ of hence the name ‘turn over bridge’. local farmer to take a horse and the early bridges. In a plan of 1816 there was a ‘flint It is also a foot bridge for the cart or live-stock into his fields. wharf’ on the opposite side (Ref. 4) ‘Staffordshire Way’ footpath, The original bridges were built by where flint carrying boats were between Colton and Wolseley Bridge 70 has been replaced with a team of ‘brickies’ – as distinct unloaded from the canal on to river Bridge, and an accommodation a very wide new bridge to carry from the men who actually dug the boats to go to the nearby Colton bridge for the farmer. the main road (the A51) at canal who were known as Mill, which was on the site of the Wolseley Bridge. (There is also a ‘navigators’ which was shortened Trent Valley Industrial Estate. large road bridge over the River to ‘navvies’. Most ‘T. & M.’ Trent. In the 1700s an earlier bridges were similar in design with bridge was washed away by the a wooden arch being placed on the flood waters of the Trent.) It was ground and the bricks being along this stretch in July 1839 that mortared in rows across. It was the murder of Mrs. Christina gradually built up to form the Collins took place and her body bridge, with ramps on either side was removed two days later at the made from the earth. Once the steps in Rugeley – since called wooden former had been removed ‘The Bloody Steps’. the ‘bridge hole’ was dug out for Colton Turn-over Bridge. the actual canal. The rest of the Bridge 71 is another accommod- earth made banks or was moved by Just beyond this bridge is a ‘wind- ation bridge and is located beside Canal aqueduct over the River Trent. ing hole’ (pronounced ‘wind’ as Colwich Lock.”