Trent and Mersey Canal
Encyclopedia
The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 93.5 miles (150.5 km) in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities—east of Burton upon Trent
and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal.
The narrow locks and bridges are big enough for a single narrowboat
7 ft (2.1 m) × 72 ft (21.9 m), while the wide locks can accommodate boats 14 ft (4.3 m), or two narrowboats next to each other.
at Derwent Mouth (in Derbyshire
) to the River Mersey
. The second connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal
, which it joins at Preston Brook
in Cheshire
. Note that although mileposts measure the distance to Preston Brook and Shardlow
, Derwent mouth is a mile or so beyond Shardlow.
The plan of a canal connection from the Mersey to the Trent ("The Grand Trunk") came from canal engineer
James Brindley
. It was authorised by an Act of Parliament
in 1766 and the first sod
was cut by Josiah Wedgwood
in July that year at Middleport
. In 1777, the canal was completed, including more than 70 locks and five tunnel
s, with the company headquarters in Stone
.
The first known idea to build a canal between the River Mersey
and the River Trent
was put forward in 1755, though no action was taken at that time. In 1760, Lord Gower, a local businessman, and brother-in-law of the Duke of Bridgewater drew up a plan for the Trent and Mersey Canal. If his plan had gone ahead, this would have been the first canal ever constructed in England. James Brindley
, the engineer behind many of the canals in England, did his first canal work on the Trent and Mersey, though his first job in charge of construction was on the Bridgewater Canal
.
In 1761, Josiah Wedgwood
showed an interest in the construction of a canal through Stoke on Trent, the location of his Wedgwood
pottery, as his business depended on the safe and smooth transport of his pots. By road, pots were liable to be damaged and broken. A canal near to his factory would provide fast and safe transport for his wares. Wedgwood’s plan was not to connect the two rivers by canal, but to connect the potteries to the River Mersey. “As a burgeoning industrialist, Wedgwood was a major backer of the Trent and Mersey Canal dug between the River Trent and River Mersey….” (A quote taken from a short Biography of Josiah Wedgwood
).
There was much debate about possible routes that a canal could take. Coal
merchants in Liverpool
felt threatened about a canal that could bring coal in from Cheshire
. The owners of the River Weaver
Navigation were also not happy about the proposals, because the route would almost parallel that of the river. Yet another route was published, which much to the shock of Wedgwood, did not at all include the potteries.
Wedgwood, intent to have a waterway connection to his potteries, managed to send his proposal to parliament, with the help of two of his friends, Thomas Bentley
, and Dr. Erasmus Darwin
. John Gilbert
’s plan for the “Grand Trunk” canal met opposition at the eastern end, where in Burton on Trent, the locals objected to the canal passing parallel to the upper Trent navigation. In 1764, Wedgwood managed to convince Gilbert to include the Potteries in his route. In 1766, Gilbert's plan was authorised by an Act of Parliament. Later that year, “[o]n July 26th a massive celebration was held in the Potteries where Josiah Wedgwood cut the first sod of soil. James Brindley was employed as engineer and work got under way.” (A quote from Canals, Routes and Roots, The Trent and Mersey Canal, by Peter Hardcastle
Six years before the complete opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal, in 1771, Wedgwood built the factory village of Etruria
on the outskirts of Stoke on Trent, close to the canal. By this time, much of the canal had been built towards Preston Brook
. The only obstacle that still had to be tackled by the canal company was the hill at Kidsgrove
, through which a tunnel was being dug. Up until 1777, pots had to be carried on the short journey from Etruria, over the top of Kidsgrove Hill, and to the other side, where the canal had been constructed to Preston Brook.
On January 15, 1847, the Trent & Mersey Canal was acquired by the North Staffordshire Railway
Company (NSR). This was done to stifle the opposition of the Canal Company to the creation of the Railway Company. In particular, the NSR had plans for a railway from Stoke-on-Trent to Liverpool; however, this line was abandoned due to opposition from other rail interests.
The Grand Trunk was a part of a larger scheme of Brindley's
to link the four main rivers of England (Trent
, Mersey
, Severn
and Thames
) in a project known as the "Grand Cross". The Trent and Mersey Canal provided the northern arm of the cross (to the Mersey), and the eastern arm (to the Trent). It also provided the central "hub" of the cross, between Great Haywood
, and Fradley
Junctions. The western arm, to the Severn, was built as the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
, whilst the southern arm (to the Thames) traversed the Coventry
and Oxford
Canals.
and the Northern end of the canal in Preston Brook
Tunnel, is the Victorian Anderton Boat Lift
, which lowers boats fifty feet from the T&M to the River Weaver
. It was restored to full operation in 2002 after twenty years of disuse, and was then the only operational boat-lift in the United Kingdom
until the construction of the Falkirk Wheel
in Scotland
.
, near Kidsgrove
in the city of Stoke-on-Trent
, north Staffordshire
. There are actually two tunnels. The first tunnel, built by Brindley, was 2880 yards (2633 m) long, and barges were 'legged' through by men lying on their backs and pushing against the roof with their feet. This was a physically demanding and slow process and created major delays, so leading civil engineer
Thomas Telford
was commissioned to provide a second, and wider, parallel tunnel with a towpath. This 2926 yard (2676 m) long tunnel was opened in 1827. In the 1900s, the Brindley tunnel was closed due to severe subsidence, but the Telford Tunnel - although also prone to the same problems - remains in use, and is the fourth-longest navigable canal tunnel in the UK.
leaves the T&M Mainline (which runs E/W here) on the south side, but then crosses over the main line and travels a short distance north to join the Macclesfield Canal
at Hall Green Stop lock. (These days, some guides do not refer to the Hall Green branch, simply treating it as part of the Macclesfield Canal.)
The actual junction where the branch leaves the main line is a normal right angle junction called Hardings Wood Junction
. The branch leaves the main line on the South side, then immediately turns 90 degrees clockwise. It runs westwards alongside the main line, maintaining the original level while the main line drops through two locks. At Red Bull (the name of the pub and small settlement called "Red Cow" in Arnold Bennett's novels) the branch turns 90 degrees right, to head North and cross the main line on Poole Lock aqueduct. It then immediately crosses the A50 on Red Bull aqueduct, carrying boats North to join the Macclesfield Canal at Hall Green.
(There is only one other such junction on the English canal network: on the Caldon Canal
, which itself joins the T&M in nearby Stoke-on-Trent. At Hazlehurst Junction, the Leek Branch leaves, and subsequently crosses, the Caldon Canal main line.)
, where it formed an integral part of the 1986 National Garden Festival
, the Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival
. The canal's towpath forms a vital part of the city's National Cycle Network
, and Connolly Basnett Loop.
within Preston Brook Tunnel, from where one can access Runcorn (but no longer the Mersey or Ship Canal) in one direction and Manchester (with its many canal links) in the other.
From the junction with the Bridgewater Canal, the T&M travels south through Preston Brook Tunnel (one-way operation, alternating each half hour) and two smaller tunnels at Saltersford (since 2008 also one-way operation, alternating each half hour), and Barnton
to the "junction" with the River Weaver
at Anderton Boat Lift
near Northwich
.
After Anderton, the next major destination is Middlewich
, where a junction with the 50 yard long Wardle Canal
leads to the Middlewich Branch
of the Shropshire Union Canal
which gives access to Chester
, Llangollen
and (south on the "Shroppie") a parallel route to Birmingham
/Wolverhampton
.
South of Middlewich, having passed through Wheelock
the T&M climbs out of the Cheshire Plain via the "Heartbreak Hill" locks (more traditionally the "Cheshire Locks") to the summit-level and the junction with the Hall Green Branch
, leading to the Macclesfield Canal
at Red Bull (Kidsgrove). The boater can use the Macclesfield Canal to head for Marple, and the junction with the Peak forest Canal (and hence, via the Ashton, Rochdale and Bridgewater canal) to complete the Cheshire Ring
.
(one way, alternating roughly every two hours), the canal emerges in the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent
, and is soon in the middle of the city and then at Etruria
, and the junction with the Caldon Canal
.
Leaving Etruria, the T&M is soon back in open country. It is now in the valley of the infant River Trent
(which the T&M follows until the River becomes navigable and the canal is no longer needed).
The next sizeable place is the market town of Stone
.
After more countryside, the canal reaches Great Haywood Junction and the towpath bridge across the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
(which heads south to skirt Wolverhampton
and join with the River Severn
at Stourport-on-Severn
- thus connecting the Mersey with the Severn).
The next event is a right angle bend, of no apparent significance from the boat - but a map shows that this is where the canal (and the Trent) changes its basic direction - from SW (heading away from Runcorn) to NE (heading towards Nottingham).
Very near is Fradley Junction
(with the Coventry Canal (detached portion
). The Coventry soon leads to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and branches off to Birmingham
or (via another stretch of Coventry Canal) to Coventry
and a junction with the Oxford Canal
and hence to all the "Southern Half" of the English canals.
The canal now heads directly to its terminus, passing through Burton upon Trent
, Mercia Marina at Findern
, the largest inland waterway marina
in the UK, and then (through wide locks, the first being at Stenson) to Shardlow
(a canal village, formerly the home of the T&M company offices) and, finally, Derwent Mouth.
It is not far from Derwent Mouth, via the River Trent
to Trentlock
, the four-way junction with the Erewash Canal
(dead end at Great Northern Basin, formerly a link with the Cromford Canal
), Cranfleet Cut (bypasses Thrumpton Weir to continue navigation towards Nottingham
) and the River Soar
Navigation (links via Leicester
to the Grand Union Canal
).
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal.
The narrow locks and bridges are big enough for a single narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
7 ft (2.1 m) × 72 ft (21.9 m), while the wide locks can accommodate boats 14 ft (4.3 m), or two narrowboats next to each other.
History
As its name implies, the Trent and Mersey canal was built to link the River TrentRiver Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
at Derwent Mouth (in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
) to the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
. The second connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal
Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
, which it joins at Preston Brook
Preston Brook
Preston Brook is a civil parish in the borough of Halton, a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located to the south-east of Runcorn and is adjacent to the M56 motorway. It contains the villages of Preston Brook and Preston on the Hill.In the 2001 Census, the...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Note that although mileposts measure the distance to Preston Brook and Shardlow
Shardlow
Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 8 km southeast of Derby and 12 km southwest of Nottingham. It is part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire. It is also very close to the border with Leicestershire which follows the River Trent, ...
, Derwent mouth is a mile or so beyond Shardlow.
The plan of a canal connection from the Mersey to the Trent ("The Grand Trunk") came from canal engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
. It was authorised by an Act of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
in 1766 and the first sod
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
was cut by Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
in July that year at Middleport
Middleport, Staffordshire
Middleport is a residential and industrial district of the town of Burslem in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, England. Middleport lies to the west of Burslem, between Burslem town centre and the Newcastle-under-Lyme district of Porthill. To the north is Tunstall and to the south Cobridge and Etruria...
. In 1777, the canal was completed, including more than 70 locks and five tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s, with the company headquarters in Stone
Stone, Staffordshire
Stone is an old market town in Staffordshire, England, situated about seven miles north of Stafford, and around seven miles south of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. It is the second town, after Stafford itself, in the Borough of Stafford, and has long been of importance from the point of view of...
.
The first known idea to build a canal between the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
and the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
was put forward in 1755, though no action was taken at that time. In 1760, Lord Gower, a local businessman, and brother-in-law of the Duke of Bridgewater drew up a plan for the Trent and Mersey Canal. If his plan had gone ahead, this would have been the first canal ever constructed in England. James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
, the engineer behind many of the canals in England, did his first canal work on the Trent and Mersey, though his first job in charge of construction was on the Bridgewater Canal
Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
.
In 1761, Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
showed an interest in the construction of a canal through Stoke on Trent, the location of his Wedgwood
Wedgwood
Wedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...
pottery, as his business depended on the safe and smooth transport of his pots. By road, pots were liable to be damaged and broken. A canal near to his factory would provide fast and safe transport for his wares. Wedgwood’s plan was not to connect the two rivers by canal, but to connect the potteries to the River Mersey. “As a burgeoning industrialist, Wedgwood was a major backer of the Trent and Mersey Canal dug between the River Trent and River Mersey….” (A quote taken from a short Biography of Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
).
There was much debate about possible routes that a canal could take. Coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
merchants in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
felt threatened about a canal that could bring coal in from Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The owners of the River Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
Navigation were also not happy about the proposals, because the route would almost parallel that of the river. Yet another route was published, which much to the shock of Wedgwood, did not at all include the potteries.
Wedgwood, intent to have a waterway connection to his potteries, managed to send his proposal to parliament, with the help of two of his friends, Thomas Bentley
Thomas Bentley (manufacturer)
Thomas Bentley was an English manufacturer of porcelain, known for his partnership with Josiah Wedgwood.-Life:He was born at Scropton, Derbyshire, on 1 January 1731. His father, Thomas Bentley, was a country gentleman of some property...
, and Dr. Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
. John Gilbert
John Gilbert (agent)
John Gilbert was land agent and engineer to the third Duke of Bridgewater and is credited with the idea which led to the building of the Bridgewater Canal....
’s plan for the “Grand Trunk” canal met opposition at the eastern end, where in Burton on Trent, the locals objected to the canal passing parallel to the upper Trent navigation. In 1764, Wedgwood managed to convince Gilbert to include the Potteries in his route. In 1766, Gilbert's plan was authorised by an Act of Parliament. Later that year, “[o]n July 26th a massive celebration was held in the Potteries where Josiah Wedgwood cut the first sod of soil. James Brindley was employed as engineer and work got under way.” (A quote from Canals, Routes and Roots, The Trent and Mersey Canal, by Peter Hardcastle
Six years before the complete opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal, in 1771, Wedgwood built the factory village of Etruria
Etruria, Staffordshire
Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.-Home of Wedgwood:Etruria was the fourth and penultimate site for the Wedgwood pottery business. Josiah Wedgwood, who was previously based in Burslem, opened his new works in 1769. It was named after the Italian district of Etruria,...
on the outskirts of Stoke on Trent, close to the canal. By this time, much of the canal had been built towards Preston Brook
Preston Brook
Preston Brook is a civil parish in the borough of Halton, a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located to the south-east of Runcorn and is adjacent to the M56 motorway. It contains the villages of Preston Brook and Preston on the Hill.In the 2001 Census, the...
. The only obstacle that still had to be tackled by the canal company was the hill at Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove is a town in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire. It forms part of The Potteries Urban Area in North Staffordshire, along with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. It has a population of 24,112...
, through which a tunnel was being dug. Up until 1777, pots had to be carried on the short journey from Etruria, over the top of Kidsgrove Hill, and to the other side, where the canal had been constructed to Preston Brook.
On January 15, 1847, the Trent & Mersey Canal was acquired by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
Company (NSR). This was done to stifle the opposition of the Canal Company to the creation of the Railway Company. In particular, the NSR had plans for a railway from Stoke-on-Trent to Liverpool; however, this line was abandoned due to opposition from other rail interests.
The Grand Trunk was a part of a larger scheme of Brindley's
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
to link the four main rivers of England (Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
) in a project known as the "Grand Cross". The Trent and Mersey Canal provided the northern arm of the cross (to the Mersey), and the eastern arm (to the Trent). It also provided the central "hub" of the cross, between Great Haywood
Haywood Junction
Haywood Junction , or Great Haywood Junction, is the name of the canal junction where the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal terminates and meets the Trent and Mersey Canal near to the village of Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England....
, and Fradley
Fradley Junction
Fradley Junction is a canal junction between Fradley and Alrewas near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England and the point at which the Coventry Canal joins the Trent and Mersey Canal....
Junctions. The western arm, to the Severn, was built as the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
, whilst the southern arm (to the Thames) traversed the Coventry
Coventry Canal
The Coventry Canal is a navigable narrow canal in the Midlands of England.It starts in Coventry and ends 38 miles north at Fradley Junction, just north of Lichfield, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal...
and Oxford
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
Canals.
Map & Gallery
Anderton Lift
On the Cheshire stretch of the canal, between MiddlewichMiddlewich
Middlewich is a market town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is east of the city of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach....
and the Northern end of the canal in Preston Brook
Preston Brook
Preston Brook is a civil parish in the borough of Halton, a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located to the south-east of Runcorn and is adjacent to the M56 motorway. It contains the villages of Preston Brook and Preston on the Hill.In the 2001 Census, the...
Tunnel, is the Victorian Anderton Boat Lift
Anderton Boat Lift
The Anderton Boat Lift near the village of Anderton, Cheshire, in north-west England provides a vertical link between two navigable waterways: the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal....
, which lowers boats fifty feet from the T&M to the River Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
. It was restored to full operation in 2002 after twenty years of disuse, and was then the only operational boat-lift in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
until the construction of the Falkirk Wheel
Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift located in Scotland, UK,connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, opened in 2002. It is named after the nearby town of Falkirk which is in central Scotland...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Harecastle Tunnel
Another major feature is the Harecastle TunnelHarecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. It is made up of two separate, parallel, tunnels described as Brindley and the later Telford after the engineers that constructed them. Today only the Telford tunnel is navigable...
, near Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove is a town in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire. It forms part of The Potteries Urban Area in North Staffordshire, along with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. It has a population of 24,112...
in the city of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, north Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. There are actually two tunnels. The first tunnel, built by Brindley, was 2880 yards (2633 m) long, and barges were 'legged' through by men lying on their backs and pushing against the roof with their feet. This was a physically demanding and slow process and created major delays, so leading civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
was commissioned to provide a second, and wider, parallel tunnel with a towpath. This 2926 yard (2676 m) long tunnel was opened in 1827. In the 1900s, the Brindley tunnel was closed due to severe subsidence, but the Telford Tunnel - although also prone to the same problems - remains in use, and is the fourth-longest navigable canal tunnel in the UK.
Flyover Junction
Just North of Harecastle Tunnel, the T&M features one of the only two "flyover" junctions on the English and Welsh network. The Hall Green BranchHall Green Branch
The Hall Green Branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal is a canal in east Cheshire, England. It runs for one mile from Kidsgrove to Hall Green, where it makes an end-on junction with the Macclesfield Canal at Hall Green Stop Lock....
leaves the T&M Mainline (which runs E/W here) on the south side, but then crosses over the main line and travels a short distance north to join the Macclesfield Canal
Macclesfield Canal
The Macclesfield Canal is a canal in east Cheshire, England, one of the six that make up the Cheshire Ring.-Route:The canal runs from Marple Junction at Marple, where it joins the Upper Peak Forest Canal, , southwards , before arriving at Bosley.Having descended the 12 Bosley Locks over the course...
at Hall Green Stop lock. (These days, some guides do not refer to the Hall Green branch, simply treating it as part of the Macclesfield Canal.)
The actual junction where the branch leaves the main line is a normal right angle junction called Hardings Wood Junction
Hardings Wood Junction
Hardings Wood Junction is a canal junction near Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England and the point at which the Macclesfield Canal joins the Trent and Mersey Canal....
. The branch leaves the main line on the South side, then immediately turns 90 degrees clockwise. It runs westwards alongside the main line, maintaining the original level while the main line drops through two locks. At Red Bull (the name of the pub and small settlement called "Red Cow" in Arnold Bennett's novels) the branch turns 90 degrees right, to head North and cross the main line on Poole Lock aqueduct. It then immediately crosses the A50 on Red Bull aqueduct, carrying boats North to join the Macclesfield Canal at Hall Green.
(There is only one other such junction on the English canal network: on the Caldon Canal
Caldon Canal
The Caldon Canal , opened in 1779, runs 18 miles from Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent where it leaves the Trent and Mersey Canal at the summit level, to Froghall, Staffordshire...
, which itself joins the T&M in nearby Stoke-on-Trent. At Hazlehurst Junction, the Leek Branch leaves, and subsequently crosses, the Caldon Canal main line.)
Stoke-on-Trent
The canal passes through the centre of the city of Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, where it formed an integral part of the 1986 National Garden Festival
National Garden Festival
The National Garden Festivals were part of the cultural regeneration of large areas of derelict land in Britain's industrial districts during the 1980s and early 1990s. Five were held in total - one every two years, each in a different town or city - after the idea was pushed by environment...
, the Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival
Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival
The Stoke-on-Trent National Garden Festival was the second of Britain's National Garden Festivals. It was held in the city from 1 May to 26 October 1986, and was opened by the Queen. Preparation of the site involved the reclamation of land formerly occupied by the Shelton Bar steelworks , about...
. The canal's towpath forms a vital part of the city's National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
, and Connolly Basnett Loop.
Route
The route is conveniently divided into a northern and southern section by Harecastle TunnelHarecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. It is made up of two separate, parallel, tunnels described as Brindley and the later Telford after the engineers that constructed them. Today only the Telford tunnel is navigable...
Northern Trent and Mersey
The Northern end of the canal makes an end-on junction with the Bridgewater CanalBridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
within Preston Brook Tunnel, from where one can access Runcorn (but no longer the Mersey or Ship Canal) in one direction and Manchester (with its many canal links) in the other.
From the junction with the Bridgewater Canal, the T&M travels south through Preston Brook Tunnel (one-way operation, alternating each half hour) and two smaller tunnels at Saltersford (since 2008 also one-way operation, alternating each half hour), and Barnton
Barnton
Barnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
to the "junction" with the River Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
at Anderton Boat Lift
Anderton Boat Lift
The Anderton Boat Lift near the village of Anderton, Cheshire, in north-west England provides a vertical link between two navigable waterways: the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal....
near Northwich
Northwich
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
.
After Anderton, the next major destination is Middlewich
Middlewich
Middlewich is a market town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is east of the city of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach....
, where a junction with the 50 yard long Wardle Canal
Wardle Canal
The Wardle canal is the shortest canal in the UK at .-Description:The canal lies in Middlewich, Cheshire, UK, and connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, terminating with a single lock known as Wardle Lock...
leads to the Middlewich Branch
Middlewich Branch
The Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal is located in Cheshire, in the north west of England, and runs between Middlewich, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal, and Barbridge Junction, where it joins the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal...
of the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
which gives access to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
and (south on the "Shroppie") a parallel route to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
/Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
.
South of Middlewich, having passed through Wheelock
Wheelock
-Places:*River Wheelock in Cheshire in England.*Wheelock, Cheshire, a long village south of Sandbach in Cheshire in England.*Wheelock, Vermont*Wheelock, North Dakota, a ghost town in the United States*Wheelock, Texas, a small town near College Station, Texas...
the T&M climbs out of the Cheshire Plain via the "Heartbreak Hill" locks (more traditionally the "Cheshire Locks") to the summit-level and the junction with the Hall Green Branch
Hall Green Branch
The Hall Green Branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal is a canal in east Cheshire, England. It runs for one mile from Kidsgrove to Hall Green, where it makes an end-on junction with the Macclesfield Canal at Hall Green Stop Lock....
, leading to the Macclesfield Canal
Macclesfield Canal
The Macclesfield Canal is a canal in east Cheshire, England, one of the six that make up the Cheshire Ring.-Route:The canal runs from Marple Junction at Marple, where it joins the Upper Peak Forest Canal, , southwards , before arriving at Bosley.Having descended the 12 Bosley Locks over the course...
at Red Bull (Kidsgrove). The boater can use the Macclesfield Canal to head for Marple, and the junction with the Peak forest Canal (and hence, via the Ashton, Rochdale and Bridgewater canal) to complete the Cheshire Ring
Cheshire Ring
The Cheshire Ring is a popular canal cruising circuit, or canal ring which includes six of the canals in and around Cheshire, England.Because it takes approximately a week to complete, it is suited to narrowboat holidays which start and return to the same location. The route has 92 locks and is long...
.
Southern Trent and Mersey
After the long (40 minute) Harecastle TunnelHarecastle Tunnel
Harecastle Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. It is made up of two separate, parallel, tunnels described as Brindley and the later Telford after the engineers that constructed them. Today only the Telford tunnel is navigable...
(one way, alternating roughly every two hours), the canal emerges in the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, and is soon in the middle of the city and then at Etruria
Etruria, Staffordshire
Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.-Home of Wedgwood:Etruria was the fourth and penultimate site for the Wedgwood pottery business. Josiah Wedgwood, who was previously based in Burslem, opened his new works in 1769. It was named after the Italian district of Etruria,...
, and the junction with the Caldon Canal
Caldon Canal
The Caldon Canal , opened in 1779, runs 18 miles from Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent where it leaves the Trent and Mersey Canal at the summit level, to Froghall, Staffordshire...
.
Leaving Etruria, the T&M is soon back in open country. It is now in the valley of the infant River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
(which the T&M follows until the River becomes navigable and the canal is no longer needed).
The next sizeable place is the market town of Stone
Stone, Staffordshire
Stone is an old market town in Staffordshire, England, situated about seven miles north of Stafford, and around seven miles south of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. It is the second town, after Stafford itself, in the Borough of Stafford, and has long been of importance from the point of view of...
.
After more countryside, the canal reaches Great Haywood Junction and the towpath bridge across the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
(which heads south to skirt Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and join with the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
at Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn, often shortened to Stourport, is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire, England, a few miles to the south of Kidderminster and down stream on the River Severn from Bewdley...
- thus connecting the Mersey with the Severn).
The next event is a right angle bend, of no apparent significance from the boat - but a map shows that this is where the canal (and the Trent) changes its basic direction - from SW (heading away from Runcorn) to NE (heading towards Nottingham).
Very near is Fradley Junction
Fradley Junction
Fradley Junction is a canal junction between Fradley and Alrewas near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England and the point at which the Coventry Canal joins the Trent and Mersey Canal....
(with the Coventry Canal (detached portion
Coventry Canal
The Coventry Canal is a navigable narrow canal in the Midlands of England.It starts in Coventry and ends 38 miles north at Fradley Junction, just north of Lichfield, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal...
). The Coventry soon leads to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and branches off to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
or (via another stretch of Coventry Canal) to Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
and a junction with the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
and hence to all the "Southern Half" of the English canals.
The canal now heads directly to its terminus, passing through Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, Mercia Marina at Findern
Findern
Findern is a village in south Derbyshire. Although a railway runs through it, there is no station, the nearest stations are Willington, Pear Tree and Derby...
, the largest inland waterway marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
in the UK, and then (through wide locks, the first being at Stenson) to Shardlow
Shardlow
Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 8 km southeast of Derby and 12 km southwest of Nottingham. It is part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire. It is also very close to the border with Leicestershire which follows the River Trent, ...
(a canal village, formerly the home of the T&M company offices) and, finally, Derwent Mouth.
It is not far from Derwent Mouth, via the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
to Trentlock
Trentlock
Trent Lock is located south of Long Eaton, on the borders of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire in the United Kingdom...
, the four-way junction with the Erewash Canal
Erewash Canal
The Erewash Canal is a broad canal in Derbyshire, England. It runs just under and has 14 locks. The first lock at Langley Bridge is actually part of the Cromford Canal.-Origins:...
(dead end at Great Northern Basin, formerly a link with the Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal
The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....
), Cranfleet Cut (bypasses Thrumpton Weir to continue navigation towards Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
) and the River Soar
River Soar
The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands.-Description:It rises near Hinckley in Leicestershire and is joined by the River Sence near Enderby before flowing through Leicester , Barrow-on-Soar, beside Loughborough and Kegworth, before joining the Trent near...
Navigation (links via Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
to the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
).
External links
- 1777 map of the complete length of the Canal.
- Archive material relating to the Trent and Mersey Canal Company, from Stoke-on-Trent Museums.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...