Hazelhurst Aqueduct was built in 1841 by James Brindley. It is situated at Hazelhurst Junction on the Caldon Canal where the canal divides, the main line descending through three locks in an easterly direction towards Cheddleton and then on to Frogall, while the Leek Branch continues along the contour to cross the main line on the single-arched Hazelhurst Aqueduct. (
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The Caldon Canal runs from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Etruria Junction, through the heart of the once-industrialised Potteries before heading up into the Staffordshire Moorlands, and terminating at the junction with the Uttoxter Canal at Froghall. The Caldon Canal is 17 miles (27 km) long, has 17 locks, 3 operational lift-bridges and one tunnel. At Froghall, the first lock of the Uttoxeter Canal has recently been restored, leading to a basin with visitor moorings.
There is one branch (the Leek Branch), which runs from Hazelhurst Junction to the outskirts of Leek, just short of its original terminus. The branch is 3 miles (4.8 km) long, has no locks and one tunnel. Source: (
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The Aqueduct is a Grade II Listed Building in Cheddleton, Staffordshire. Source: (
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'Aqueduct. Dated 1841. Painted brickwork with stone dressings.
Single round arch (including towpath) with several bands to extrados,
inset spandrel panels finished at centre by inscribed plaque:
"HAZLEHURST/AQUEDUCT/1841". Parapet over, on corbels; the sides
of the parapet and main face are swept round in a curve and tapered
down to piers to take the embankment of the upper (Leek Branch)
canal. The Leek Branch of the Caldon Canal was opened circa 1801,
John Rennie engineer. The Caldon Canal which it crosses was opened
circa 1779. The early surveys of the main canal were done in 1772
by James Brindley, but upon his untimely death the work was taken
over by Rennie. The Leek Branch was built to take cheaper coal to
Leek, the main canal took limestone from Caldon Low to the
Potteries.'
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