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Trent and Mersey Canal in Stoke-on-Trent

Considerable redevelopment has taken place in recent years with many new factory units, and multi-lane roads.
The factory unit ahead is one belonging to Jones and Shufflebottom's, which was established in 1924, and is still a privately owned company supplying building, plumbing and heating products to the building industry for more than eighty years. Past the old bottle kiln ahead s the bridge carrying City Road, the A52.

The canal is 93.5 miles in length from Derwent Mouth to Preston Brook. The first sod was cut by Josiah Wedgwood in July 1766 at Middleport (Stoke-on-Trent). It took eleven years to build. The section between Derwent Mouth and Shugborough (the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal) was operational by 1770, the rest to Preston Brook being operational by 1777. James Brindley was the engineer until his death in 1772.