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 Trentham Lock - Trentham, UK Posted by:  dtrebilc
N 52° 57.345 W 002° 10.418
30U E 555514 N 5867667
This sign on the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal stands at the northern end of Trentham lock.
Waymark Code: WM10A87
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/31/2019
Views: 4
The Trent and Mersey canal was completed in 1777 and connected the river Mersey to the river Trent.
The sign is a tall metal structure with silhouette cut outs of various objects which can be found along the canal. There is also a panel with information about the canal, and the nearby lock.
TRENTHAM LOCK
In 1766, an Act was passed by Parliament for the construction of the Trent and Mersy Canal. It is one of the British Waterway's older canals, taking eleven years to build at a cost of £300,000. It opened in 1777, extending ninety-three and a half miles through towns of Mid-Cheshire, The Potteries and the East Midlands.
The Trent and Mersey Canal became known as 'The Grand Trunk Canal', carrying huge tonnage and different types of cargo along with its numerous branches and junctions. The Trent and Mersey Canal forms part of both the Cheshire and the Four Counties Rings.
Until the Eighteenth Century heaviest goods were transported within Britain by river, this proved much easier than by road due to poor surfaces and the capability of horses to pull a greater weight once the load was suspended on the water. However rivers could not keep up with demand spiralled by the Industrial Revolution. Despite several acts of Parliament being passed to clean up the rivers, they continued to silt up. To overcome the problem canals began to be introduced. Many were instigated by the entrepreneurs of the time, including Josiah Wedgwood, who issued the task of building the canal to James Brindley, engineer to the Duke of Bridgewater for his canal built in 1759.
Staffordshire was at the heart of the action during the Industrial Revolution with the rush to build canals and hence there are more miles of canals within its boundaries than any other county in England.
As can be seen here at Trentham Lock, canal builders have to negotiate hilly terrain. They must therefore take a course over, around or through hilly terrain to reach their destination. The most efficient way to negotiate hills is by locks. Canal locks are chambers built of stone or brick with watertight gates at either end. By opening one gate at a time, water and the narrow boats on the water can be made to flow up or down a gradient gradually.
Type of Historic Marker: Standalone metal board
Historical Marker Issuing Authority: City of Stoke-on-Trent
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Age/Event Date: Not listed
Related Website: Not listed
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