Caldon Canal Milestone - Consall, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 02.621 W 002° 00.253
30U E 566759 N 5877594
This milestone records distances between Uttoxeter and Etruria along the Caldon Canal.
Waymark Code: WM11EG4
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/08/2019
Views: 2
The Caldon Canal
The Caldon Canal opened in 1779 to carry Peak District limestone, from the quarries at Cauldon Low, down to the Potteries and the industrial Midlands. A short branch was built 18 years later connceting the Caldon with the town of Leek. Another branch extended the navigation to Uttoxeter but this lasted only until 1845 when it was closed and replaced with a railway line.
Freight traffic deserted the Caldon shortly after the construction of a parallel railway line and the canal became virtually unnavigable by the 1960s. Enthusiasts were justifiably vocal in clamouring for its restoration and it was brought back into use in 1974.
The Uttoxeter Branch still lies derelict but work has recently started on rebuilding the very first lock. Similarly, the final mile of the Leek Branch is no longer navigable, but plans are now being hatched to restore navigation across a surviving aqueduct further towards the town."
link
The milestones were used to help calculate the tolls for carrying goods along the canal.
The milestone records the distance to Uttoxeter, but these days the canal ends at Froghall.
At this point the route of the canal actually uses the river Thurnet. The towpath here is rather overgrown and the milepost is easily missed when walking north to south, but is more visible when walking the other way round.