Connecting the Country

Canals form one of the key features of the Staffordshire landscape today. There are several which serve the area, including the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, the Trent & Mersey Canal, and the Caldon Canal. The Staffordshire & Worcestershire begins at the River Severn in Stourport before eventually merging into the Trent & Mersey, a much longer canal that concludes at the River Mersey in Liverpool. Along its route, the Trent & Mersey connects to six other canals, showcasing the theory behind its design.

James Brindley was the name of the chief engineer, and his aim was for the canals to connect several major British ports, including Hull in the north east, and London in the south. It was particularly important for Staffordshire to be well connected to a canal due to its booming pottery trade, and the likes of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire ensured that local ware could reach places such as Gloucester and Bristol as efficiently as was possible at the time. The goods were transported using specially designed, flat-bottomed boats known as ‘barges’ which were originally towed by horses and later replaced with engines.