The Trent & Mersey Canal links the North West and East Midlands. The canal was intended to link the rivers Trent and Mersey with another link to the Bridgewater Canal. Plans began to be made for the canal in the mid-1700s with support coming from Josiah Wedgwood who wanted the canal to transport his pottery factory wares in Stoke-on-Trent. In 1766 work finally began on the canal, Wedgwood himself cutting the first sod of soil. The canal was completed in 1777.
The canal is still fully navigable from it's junction with the Trent at Derwent Mouth in Derbyshire to the Bridgewater Canal in Cheshire. The Trent & Mersey Canal connects also to the
Coventry, Shropshire Union, Macclesfield, Caldon,
Staffordshire & Worcestershire and
Erewash Canals along it's one hundred and fifty kilometre route.
Building the canal meant overcoming a number of formidable obstacles and the canal includes Harecastle Canal which is over two and a half kilometres long and the Anderton Boat Lift which lowers boats over fifteen metres to the river Weaver.
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| Alrewas near Lichfield |
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| Fradley Junction |
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| Just North of Stoke |
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| Stoke-on-Trent |
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| Stone |
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| Willington |
