The milepost is located on the Trent and Mersey Canal at the entrance to the south portal of the Harecastle Tunnel and is Grade II listed. It is described by Historic England as follows;
" Canal milepost. Originally probably 1824-7 but recently re-cast. Cast-iron. Cylindrical column carrying 2 panels inscribed thus: "Shardlow 61 miles" and Preston Brook 31 Miles"."
The canal used the established systems of mileposts to identify distances from the beginning and end of the route from Preston Brook to Shardlow. All the posts have Shardlow on the left.
These mile posts are in a uniform company design: a circular post with moulded head and embossed convex faces painted black and white.
The original posts have a plate on the shaft stating “R&D Stone 1819”, which is thought to refer to the Stone foundry of Rangeley and Dixon.
The replica ones have the mark T & MCS 1977, which were installed by the Trent and Mersey Canal Society two hundred years after the canal opened.
This is a replacement milepost was sponsored by Christopher Skelhorne (Chairman of the Stoke-on-Trent branch of the IWA) and his family, also by David and Alison Clarke and family . It was unveiled by Brian Haskins (Northwich Area Engineer, BWB) on Sunday 30th October 1983.
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The plaque that is located on the wall above is inscribed as follows;
'THIS MILEPOST WAS SPONSORED BY
CHRISTOPHER J. SKELHORNE
(CHAIRMAN STOKE ON TRENT BRANCH OF
THE INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION)
AND HIS FAMILY
AND BY
DAVID AND ALISON CLARKE AND FAMILY
REPLACED BY THE
TRENT AND MERSEY CANAL SOCIETY
AND UNVEILED BY B.P.HASKINS D.L.C., M.I.C.E.
NORTHWICH AND AREA ENGINEER B.W.B
ON SUNDAT 30TH OCTOBER 1983
PLAQUE BY BUTLER JONES BOGNOR REGIS'
B.J. Haskins
Brian Haskins was the Northwich Area Engineer for British Waterways. He was involved in canal restoration and known as 'Rising Damp' by people who worked with him. Source: (
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In 1975 he was involved in assessing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and wrote a report- B P Haskins, 'Report of Damage to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct' (17 June 1975), printed in C Harris, S Chewins & I Statham, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct: Engineering Assessment
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He unveiled the replacement milepost at the Southern Portal of Harecastle Tunnel. A photograph of the unveiling can be seen at the following link: (
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"BRIAN HASKINS
I am very saddened to report of the passing, on 4th November 2003, of Brian Haskins, former Area Manager for British Waterways old Northwich Area and latterly British Waterways Chief Civil Engineer.
Brian was quite an exception in the 'old' British Waterways Board in that he encouraged volunteers as far as he was able within the restrictions imposed by his superiors. The two most important of these projects were the Montgomery Canal and Bugsworth Basin. Some of his superiors did not support his view that the voluntary sector was a responsible source of help for a cash-strapped BW and his vision was that volunteers could, by sheer physical effort and lobbying, save the then derelict canals until better times arrived. Better times did of course eventually arrive and he was at the re-opening of Bugsworth Basin and the Anderton Lift. The latter, he himself, quite rightly as it turned out, originally closed for safety reasons. On the much bigger restoration of the Montgomery Canal he did not live to see restoration from end to end but the tremendous progress on that canal exonerated his belief that volunteers could work with BW if the will was there. In Brian it most certainly was.
Over the years I came to know and respect Brian. I always respected his opinion. Some volunteers (even in the IWPS) took a 'them and us' attitude but we all had to acknowledge the fact we earned our living elsewhere. We restored canals in our spare time. Brian was answerable to those above him in BW and in the long run his commitments and responsibility to BW were paramount, irrespective of what he felt for me and other volunteer managers.
I well remember the time in 1979 when the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act was implemented. The higher echelons at BW took fright. I got a completely out of character letter from Brian stating in his first long paragraph that all work must stop on the Ancient Monument at Bugsworth Basin and predicting dire consequences for BW and IWPS if any further work was done. Brian then started his second para. (I remember it well) with: 'Having got that diatribe out of the way...........' It took some time for BW to eventually acknowledge, as I knew from the beginning, that the 1979 Act had some very positive benefits for Bugsworth and other BW Ancient Monuments. Brian, following a few discussions with myself and others came round to this view much earlier than some of his colleagues. The result of that was that we were soon on track again, we built up a lasting relationship with English Heritage and Bugsworth Basin benefited. Brian had to act to placate his alarmed superiors but at the same time he chose not abandon his unswerving belief that there was a great future for BW to work with the volunteers. The rest is history but, in our region, let us not forget what a debt we owe to Brian Haskins.
A book could be written on Brian but I think the most extraordinary task he asked me to do was to go to London to the Institute of Civil Engineers and give a lecture on how volunteers were working on canals and in particular Bugsworth Basin. For Brian to put me in front of his august professional body, cemented his commitment to volunteers for all time. Of course we volunteer managers had to act responsibly and not betray the trust that was placed in us. I have upheld that belief to this day.
Even in his retirement I could always call on Brian for advice. It was he who I asked to check our Health & Safety Manuals which he did with tremendous expertise. If he felt, because he was out of touch with current events in the waterway world, that his advice may not be the best he always introduced me to others within BW or elsewhere where I could get that technical advice I sought. He was also very forthcoming with his praise when he felt it warranted. This was particularly so with the H&S Manuals which he described as a 'fine professional piece of work'. Latterly Brian was appointed IWA Vice Chairman and continued until shortly before his passing to visit both IWA and BW events.
Sarah and I attended the funeral on 14th November which was packed with BW present and former management, staff and bank-side personnel, many representatives of the canal societies in the North West and further afield, current and past Chairmen of the IWA and many others. So many people came to pay their last tributes to a charming and greatly respected man that it was in the end standing room only.
Our sincere condolences go to Brian's family. We will all miss him. Although we did not meet that often I for one have lost a good friend and mentor." SOURCE: (
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The lettering on the convex faces of this replacement milepost are painted all white because this is not the original location of the milepost.
A plaque on the wall above the milepost explains the reason why and reads as follows;
' TRENT AND MERSEY CANAL SOCIETY
THIS REPLACEMENT MILEPOST
WAS PLACED HERE AS PART OF THE
SOCIETY'S MILEPOST RESTORATION SCHEME
THE ORIGINAL MILEPOST WAS SITED
ON THE HORSE PATH ABOVE THE TUNNEL.
A LOCATION NO LONGER AVAILABLE
OCTOBER 1983
PLAQUE BY JONES BOGNOR REGIS'
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