A map of the Trent & Mersey Canal

A brief history of the Trent & Mersey Canal

The Trent and mersey canal is 93.5 miles long and runs from the River Trent at Derwent Mouth in Derbyshire to Preston Brook in Cheshire.

The first proposal for the canal was put forward in 1755 but the process was not started until 1760. Various routes were considered with people both for and against the different proposals. The potteries in Stoke-on-Trent had problems both getting raw materials in and manufacturered goods out. At the time, businesses had to rely on the roads which were in a very poor condition resulting in many of the products being damaged or broken. Josiah Wedgewood was particularly interested in ensurng that the route passed through Stoke-on-Trent. Wedgewood's interest in the canal was not so much connecting the Trent to the Mersey but simply to connect the Potteries to the Mersey, allowing him to safely export his goods and to import china clay from the West Country.

A route that included Stoke-on-Trent was finalised and an Act of Parliament passed in 1766 and the first sod was cut by Josiah Wedgwood in July of that year at Middleport. The canal was completed 1766.

For more detailed information, follow the links below:

• Wikipedia
• Canal & River Trust
• Inland Waterways Association