The plaque to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club is located on the ground in front of a canal side milepost
on the Caldon Canal near to Post Lane Bridge No.28.
The plaque located at the base of the milepost is inscribed as follows;
'THIS MILEPOST WAS REPLACED BY
CALDON CANAL SOCIETY
SPONSORED BY
STOKE-ON-TRENT
BOAT CLUB
TO COMMEMORATE
THEIR
25TH ANNIVERSARY
1982
PLAQUE BY R.WELCH COTES HEATH'
Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club
"In 1957, Guy Barks formed Stoke on Trent Boat Club with a group of like-minded enthusiasts. The first meeting place was the Copeland Arms, Stoke. Later in 1957, the Club moved into the old grain store, Town Yard. As first Commodore, Guy Barks put a notice on the towpath inviting passing boaters to visit them.
Soon Guy was in contact with British Waterways protesting at the neglect of the Caldon and Trent & Mersey Canals. He challenged the Inland Waterways Association to hold its 1960 national campaign rally in Stoke on Trent, organised by the Club - the only such rally ever to be organised by a club. Things moved on apace, with a protest cruise to Froghall in 1961. In 1963, the Caldon Canal Society [now the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust] was formed with strong support from the boat club, leading to a protest rally at Consall Forge.
In 1966, Endon wharf was purchased and remains the headquarters. A lot of work was done by members to restore the Caldon Canal as a navigable waterway. The Club purchased land for road access to the club arm in 1970, and the clubhouse itself followed in 1973 - all carried out by members.
The Caldon Canal was formally re-opened in 1974 - the Club met at The Victoria Hotel, Shelton [otherwise known as The Jug] between 1973 and 1976, when the move to Endon took place. Much work has been done by members to improve the building and grounds, and to this day, all work required is carried out by volunteers.
In 2007, the Club celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a rally of visiting boats, and an open weekend at our premises. We held an exhibition of photographs selected from our archives and ran a ‘canal week’ for the local primary school with visits and competitions. Later in the year, we held a celebratory dinner at Westwood Golf Club.
With some 140 members, the Club is thriving with a programme of social events for the winter months, and in summer, members cruise many hundreds of miles around the network. Members also serve on committees such as the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust, Inland Waterways Association, Leek & District Sports Council, and the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs. We are also involved in various activities in the village of Endon.
Location
Stoke on Trent Boat Club is situated on the Caldon Canal, on a private arm, off Endon Basin, just north of Bridge 27.
The address is Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon ST9 9DT. Post Lane is a continuation of Station Road, Endon, which leads off the A53 in Endon, near the Plough."
Source - Stoke on Trent Boat Club Website: (
visit link)
The canal mileposts identify distances from the beginning and end of the route from Etruria to Uttoxeter.
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 C & CS 1981, which were installed by the Caldon Canal Society.
The canal was built to carry limestone for the iron industry and flints for the pottery industry.
The Caldon Canal runs from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Etruria Junction, through the heart of the once-industrialised Potteries before heading up into the Staffordshire Moorlands, and terminating at the junction with the Uttoxter Canal at Froghall. The Caldon Canal is 17 miles (27 km) long, has 17 locks, 3 operational lift-bridges and one tunnel. At Froghall, the first lock of the Uttoxeter Canal has recently been restored, leading to a basin with visitor moorings.
There is one branch (the Leek Branch), which runs from Hazelhurst Junction to the outskirts of Leek, just short of its original terminus. The branch is 3 miles (4.8 km) long, has no locks and one tunnel. (
visit link)