Your floating hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

Our guide to the waterways of the UK in detail.

Pictures of the Trent & Mersey Canal.

Eturia to Great Haywood.

This was the first true canal to be built in the UK. Previously rivers had been made navigable, then the Bridgewater canal was built as the first water route which did not follow the course of a river. The Trent & Mersey had locks, a summit and a tunnel to enable it to travel from the watershed of the Mersey over to the watershed of the Trent this was an important innovation.

It is ninety-five miles long from Derwent mouth to the Bridgewater canal at the north end of Preston Brook tunnel. In has seventy-six locks four great tunnels. Eight other navigations join it so sections of it are included in many of our cruises. .

After Great Haywood the first nine miles continue the gradual climb with just four well spread out locks. The canal then arrives at the small market town of Stone, where the construction of the canal started and its eventual Head Quarters. Here in the course of two miles in the adjacent lock flights of Stone, and Meaford with a total of eight locks the canal climbs over 70 foot.

The canal is now a mixture of rural and outlying suburbs for the next five miles it resumes its leisurely approach to stoke with only one solitary lock on the way.

Finally the canal reaches Stoke-on-Trent entering the city between the council rubbish incinerator, a huge supermarket distribution warehouse and the new ground for Stoke Football club. Former industry and the main railway station soon appear. Then come the last five locks as the Stoke flight takes the canal up to its summit level. Here at Eturia within half a mile are the main BW work yards, an industrial museum, a marina and the junction of the Caldon canal all presided over by a statue of Brindley the engineer for the Trent & Mersey canal.

Stoke on Trent	Meaford locks
Stone

More pictures of this canal?

Preston Brook to Middlewich / Middlewich to Hardings Wood Junction / Hardings Wood Junction to Eturia

Fradley to Shardlow

A history of this canal. / General information on the canal.

Find our information about other canals and rivers on the canal index page.

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk