Trent & Mersey Canal Milepost - Aston-by-Stone, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 52° 53.092 W 002° 07.534
30U E 558839 N 5859820
This is one of the milestones on the Trent & Mersey Canal used to assist in calculating toll charges on the canal.
Waymark Code: WM10BNH
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/08/2019
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 mileposts 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.
"STONE RURAL TRENT AND MERSEY SJ 93 SW CANAL 11/10006 Canal Milepost at Aston Lock at SJ 9165 3192
- II Canal milepost. Dated "R & D Stone 1819" on shaft. Cast iron painted black and white. Circular post with moulded head and embossed letters on 2 convex tablets below: "Shardlow 46 miles" "Preston Brook 46 miles". Probably cast in the foundry of Rangely and Dixon in Lichfield Street, Stone. The Trent and Mersey Canal was built between 1766 and 1777 by James Brindley and Hugh Henshall. Charles Hadfield, The Canals ofthe West Midlands (1966) Jean Lindsay, The Trent and Mersey Canal (1979)"
link
The milestone stands next to Aston lock and as can be seen from the lettering it marks the half way point along the canal.