Etruria Junction #2 - Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK.
N 53° 01.113 W 002° 11.546
30U E 554172 N 5874639
A lucky 7 with a tally of 14 located at Etruria Junction, Lower Bedford Street, Etruria at the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Caldon Canals.
Waymark Code: WM143H1
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/07/2021
Views: 2
Etruria Junction is the meeting point of the Trent and Mersey and the Caldon Canal in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Caldon Canal was used to ship coal and limestone from Froghall to North Staffordshire and Cheshire. As the Caldon Canal passes the museum it ascends through Bedford Street Locks, which are the only remaining staircase locks in North Staffordshire.
Summit Lock, one of the highest in the country. At this point boats were charged a toll as they passed along the canal. The former toll collection office and the adjoining canal warehouse now form part of the Etruria Industrial Museum.
To facilitate toll collection, mileposts were erected along the canal between 1819-20. The cast iron milepost from the Graving Dock entrance dates from this time. The Graving Dock was used by the canal authorities to gauge new boats before they were allowed onto the waterway network.
Boats were floated into the dock and circular weights were loaded onto them. The water level was then marked on the bow of the boat. This building was originally roofed, evidence of which remains on the rear gable of the Canal Warehouse.
To protect toll collectors and boatmen from the elements, the Summit Lock was also covered. This roof was removed in the 1960's following the decline in commercial traffic, subsidence and the subsequent need to raise the level of the Lock.
Below Summit Lock lies the Jesse Shirley Bone and Flint Mill originally operated by the Shirley family until 1975. The Mill is the only operational steam powered Potters Mill in the country and retains all of its original machinery. Dating back to 1857 it is now listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is maintained and operated by the City of Stoke-on-Trent. The buildings on this section of the canal form part of the Etruria Industrial Museum. Source: The Etruria Junction Historical Marker.
The starting point for this lucky 7 is the Jesse Shirley Bone and Flint Mill.
These are the waymarks included in this Lucky 7.
2. Buildings > Mills and Gins > WMZZX2 > Etruscan Bone & Flint Mill
6. History > UK Historical Markers > WMZG3T > Etruria Junction
10.Oddities > Superlatives > WMWC67 > HIGHEST - Lock on the Trent and Mersey Canal
11. Recreation > Hiking and Trails > Cycling Routes > WMZZA2 > 555 & 550 - Etruria Junction
12. Signs > 'You Are Here' Maps > WMZZ94 > Trent and Mersey Canal
13. Structures > Unique Chimneys and Chimney Pots > WMZZRD > Etruscan Bone & Flint Mill Chimney
15. Waymarking Multifarious > News Article Locations > WM141FR > 'Then & Now: Remembering Jesse Shirley’s Flint and Bone Mill, now Etruria Industrial Museum'
There are more waymarks located around this area.