Trent & Mersey Canal Milepost - Middlewich, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 11.351 W 002° 26.439
30U E 537374 N 5893461
This is one of the milestones on the Trent & Mersey Canal used to assist in calculating toll charges on the canal.
Waymark Code: WMW483
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/08/2017
Views: 2
The Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal was the UK's first long distance canal and as the name suggests was built to give a connection to the Rivers Trent and Mersey. (Access to the Mersey was actually via the Bridgewater Canal with some locks at Runcorn that no longer exist).
It opened in 1777 and is 93.5 miles (150.5 km) long and stretches from its connection with the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook to its connection with the River Trent at Derwent Mouth.
The milesposts all have a standard design and give the distance to Preston Brook and Shardlow which is just short of Derwent Mouth.
The milepost is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Canal Milepost, 1819, cast iron. Tapered circular stem inscribed R&D STONE 1819 on raised quatrefoil; curved plate inscribed SHARDLOW 75 MILES: PRESTON BROOK 17 MILES; domed cap. All lettering in Roman capitals."
link
This milepost is against the wall of a canal boat hire company and cafe. There are also moorings here and a junction with the Wardle Canal, and this part of the canal cab be very busy with many boat movements.