Events took me to Stoke-on-Trent this week, which gave me the opportunity to walk part of the Trent & Mersey Canal. The whole walk was made in glorious sunshine. Unfortunately, I did not have much free time. I only managed a distance of around 9 miles. Nevertheless, it did give me a possible taster for a longer walk in the area sometime in the future - and a nice suntan.
The Trent & Mersey Canal runs from Merseyside to the River Trent near Nottingham, some 93.5 miles in length. I started my adventure at Kidsgrove, close to the northern end of the famous Harecastle Tunnels. After a badly-needed coffee in town, I headed towards the railway station and walked down to the canal, which runs close by. The station approach road runs over the bridge in the photo below, with the station to the left and the town of Kidsgrove to the right.
I began by walking northwards for a short distance, to the junction
of the main canal and the Hall Green branch, which leads to the
Macclesfield Canal. I would have liked to have walked a little further
north to the point where the Macclesfield route crosses the main canal
on an aqueduct, but didn't think I would have the time. Something for
another day! In the photo below, the Hall Green branch goes under the bridge on the left, with the main canal heading north into the distance.
Just beyond the junction is
Red Bull Top Lock (No 41) next door to The Canal Tavern. This was the northernmost point of my walk.
Walking south again, I passed Kidsgrove railway station and continued along the canal towpath. The next bridge I encountered carries the railway line south towards Stoke-on-Trent.
Right next to this bridge is a canal bridge - presumably used by horses switching to the other side of the canal to tow boats through the newer of the two Harecastle Tunnels in the old days.The view south from this bridge shows the newer of the two tunnels on the left. The original tunnel is just to the right, in the gloom of the cutting. The red colour of the canal here is said to be due to minerals seeping out through the old tunnel, which is disused and abandoned.
Here is a close up of the newer tunnel. This was completed in 1827. Telford was the engineer.
The original tunnel was completed in 1777. At the time it was constructed, it shared the honour of being the longest canal tunnel in Britain (2,926 yards) with the Norwood Tunnel on the Chesterfield Canal. Both were built by James Brindley. This older tunnel was permanently closed in 1914, due to subsidence.
The original tunnel had no towpath. Horses walked over the hill to the other end of the tunnel along Boathorse Road. I followed this road up over the hill. On the northern flanks is a country park, photographed here.
The narrow road leads steeply up the hillside through woodland.
At the top, the hill is very flat, with long views across the countryside. This is the view north.
The lane eventually takes a sharp left before descending through a Traveller's Site. It then turns south down a narrow valley. At the bottom, it suddenly joins a busy main road, which has to be crossed to reach the southern portals of the tunnels. This new JCB building dominates the view at the side of the road..
I rejoined the canal by following a narrow lane a short way, then down some steps to the right. This brings you straight down to the tunnel. Here is the southern portal of the Brindley tunnel.
...and here, the peculiar southern portal of the later Telford tunnel. This contains a fan to extract diesel fumes from the tunnel - essential now that diesel-powered pleasure boats frequent the canal.
Here is a distant view of the two tunnels, looking back as I headed south. I turned around to take most shots along the canal, as the sun was very strong.
There are regular mileposts showing the distance to each end of the canal. The distance to Nottingham is very long by canal, as it heads a long way south before turning east - to avoid the hills.
Along this first stretch south of the tunnels, the canal is very straight and tranquil.
Eventually, I arrived at the first residential area, opposite Middleport Lakes Country Park ( seen here on the left)
The scene quickly changed though, giving the first hintss of the bustling industrial past of the Stoke-on-Trent area in the past.
I soon passed my first pottery kiln....
... and then the Middleport Pottery.
There were some interesting contrasts in bridges.
I passed the base for a canal boat hire firm.
The industrial nature of the canal here must have declined dramatically over the years. This shows all that remains of the once-mighty Etruria factory of Josiah Wedgwood. It is called "The Roundhouse".
Even the graffiti was interesting...
Further south, I arrived at Etruria Junction, now the site of a museum. The canal on the left led to Caldon. The one on the right is the main canal, heading south.
At Lock No 40, the canal boats were charged a toll based on an estimate of how much goods they carried, by weight. The lock was originally covered by an overall roof.
Here is a view from just south of the lock.
Not far beyond, the canal passes a cemetary with what looks to be a fine Gothic entrance, seen here in the far distance.
The end of the canal walk for me was Stoke Lock, right next to the railway station.
This is the impressive facade of the station, which seemed very busy with trains and passengers.
Opposite the station is this impressive hotel.
I am certainly tempted to try rather more of the Trent & Mersey Canal in the future. Travelling so far does need careful planning though, so it may not be for a while!
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