Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal
Encyclopedia
The 'Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal' was a 3 mile 6 furlongs (6 km) level canal
from the Trent & Mersey Canal at Stoke-on-Trent
to Newcastle-under-Lyme
. It was completed in 1800.
The canal has been in disuse since 1935.
in granted permission for the making and maintaining a navigable Canal, from and out of the Navigation from the Trent to the Mersey, at or near Stoke-upon-Trent, in the county of Stafford, to the town of Newcastle-under-Lyne, in the said county.
1796 - a rival canal, Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal
opened and had secured exclusive rights to supply Newcastle with coal for 21 years on condition that the price was no higher than 25 pence per ton. The agreement forbid the Newcastle Under Lyme Canal from carrying coal other than for use in the pottery trade.
1800 - the canal opened and because Gresley had exclusive rights to coal carrying, limestone became the main cargo on the Newcastle Under Lyme Canal.
1863 - the canal was sold to the North Staffordshire Railway
. By this time the railway company also owned the Trent & Mersey Canal which the Newcastle Canal very much depended on. The canal's shareholders did very well out of the deal considering the route had only ever paid out occasional and very low dividends during their ownership. The railway company did not close down the Newcastle Canal and it continued in commercial use.
1921 - the northern most part of the canal was closed.
1935 - the remaining part of the Newcastle Canal was also closed and the whole route was abandoned.
present - since its closure rapid construction followed its path consequently little evidence of the canal remains.
The canal headed southeast on the west side of London Road (A34). Where Occupation Street leaves London Road is the spot that would have been the bottom of the inclined plane providing a link to the Newcastle-under-Lyme Junction Canal, which was never built. Near here is the newly developed Lyme Valley Parkway - Lyme Brook runs to the west of the canal line.
A little further south there is a small Jewish synagogue/cemetery and a bowling green. The canal ran behind these into a cutting surrounded by a small wood. Past here it emerges by the side of the busy A34 opposite the General Hospital and the newly built University Hospital of North Staffordshire
. Surprisingly this section has survived and today it is the only part of any of the canal that holds water.
A couple of minor roads crossed the canal as it ran south close to the A34. At Oak Hill the canal curved southwest for a hundred yards or so and then curved back round to head east under the A34. The crossing point on the main road was about ½ way between the B5041 (heading north east towards Stoke) and the A34/A500 Hanford roundabout. At Oak Hill the dry bed of the canal can be found behind The Cottage pub.
Roughly following the B5041, the canal continued east until it reached the now minor road but former A5006 which runs north east from the afore mentioned roundabout. When the canal reached the old A5006 it turned again and headed northeast into Boothen. The route pulled away from the A5006 until it came close to the B5041. In Boothen the line of the canal can still be seen where it is grassed over alongside this London Road.
Just before the B5041 and the former canal line met the A52
in Stoke the canal used to disappear into a relatively short tunnel - I have no information on whether this has survived.
On the far side of the tunnel is Spode
Factory and museum, shortly after this the Newcastle Canal ran into the Trent & Mersey Canal near Glebe Street. Until the early 1970s there was a 100 yard stretch of navigable Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal here which was used as moorings for Stoke Boat Club, this stretch was wiped out when the A500
by-pass was built. The one remaining item of the canal which can still be seen in Stoke is the site of a bridge in Corporation Street where both parapets have survived at the roads junction with London Road (B5041).
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
from the Trent & Mersey Canal at Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
to Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
. It was completed in 1800.
The canal has been in disuse since 1935.
Historical Timeline
1795 - an Act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in granted permission for the making and maintaining a navigable Canal, from and out of the Navigation from the Trent to the Mersey, at or near Stoke-upon-Trent, in the county of Stafford, to the town of Newcastle-under-Lyne, in the said county.
1796 - a rival canal, Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal
Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal
Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal was a private canal between Apedale and Newcastle-under-Lyme both in Staffordshire, England. It was used to transport coal from Sir Nigel Gresley's mines. It opened in 1776 after being approved by Act of Parliament in 1775. The act placed controls on the price at which...
opened and had secured exclusive rights to supply Newcastle with coal for 21 years on condition that the price was no higher than 25 pence per ton. The agreement forbid the Newcastle Under Lyme Canal from carrying coal other than for use in the pottery trade.
1800 - the canal opened and because Gresley had exclusive rights to coal carrying, limestone became the main cargo on the Newcastle Under Lyme Canal.
1863 - the canal was sold to the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
. By this time the railway company also owned the Trent & Mersey Canal which the Newcastle Canal very much depended on. The canal's shareholders did very well out of the deal considering the route had only ever paid out occasional and very low dividends during their ownership. The railway company did not close down the Newcastle Canal and it continued in commercial use.
1921 - the northern most part of the canal was closed.
1935 - the remaining part of the Newcastle Canal was also closed and the whole route was abandoned.
present - since its closure rapid construction followed its path consequently little evidence of the canal remains.
The route
The terminus of the Newcastle Canal was close to Brook Lane at an elevation of around 110m. A pub named the Boat & Horses still stands near the former basin though the basin itself was converted into railway sidings many years ago during the construction of the Stoke-on-Trent to Newcastle-under-Lyme train line, which began construction on 26 June 1846. Although still extant in 1971 these sidings have also now been removed.The canal headed southeast on the west side of London Road (A34). Where Occupation Street leaves London Road is the spot that would have been the bottom of the inclined plane providing a link to the Newcastle-under-Lyme Junction Canal, which was never built. Near here is the newly developed Lyme Valley Parkway - Lyme Brook runs to the west of the canal line.
A little further south there is a small Jewish synagogue/cemetery and a bowling green. The canal ran behind these into a cutting surrounded by a small wood. Past here it emerges by the side of the busy A34 opposite the General Hospital and the newly built University Hospital of North Staffordshire
University Hospital of North Staffordshire
The University Hospital of North Staffordshire is a major teaching & research hospital in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, England, near the border with Newcastle-under-Lyme...
. Surprisingly this section has survived and today it is the only part of any of the canal that holds water.
A couple of minor roads crossed the canal as it ran south close to the A34. At Oak Hill the canal curved southwest for a hundred yards or so and then curved back round to head east under the A34. The crossing point on the main road was about ½ way between the B5041 (heading north east towards Stoke) and the A34/A500 Hanford roundabout. At Oak Hill the dry bed of the canal can be found behind The Cottage pub.
Roughly following the B5041, the canal continued east until it reached the now minor road but former A5006 which runs north east from the afore mentioned roundabout. When the canal reached the old A5006 it turned again and headed northeast into Boothen. The route pulled away from the A5006 until it came close to the B5041. In Boothen the line of the canal can still be seen where it is grassed over alongside this London Road.
Just before the B5041 and the former canal line met the A52
A52 road
The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from the junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness before terminating on the east Lincolnshire coast at...
in Stoke the canal used to disappear into a relatively short tunnel - I have no information on whether this has survived.
On the far side of the tunnel is Spode
Spode
Spode is a well-known English brand of pottery and homewares based in Stoke-on-Trent.- The overview :Spode is a Stoke-on-Trent based pottery company that was founded by Josiah Spode in 1770...
Factory and museum, shortly after this the Newcastle Canal ran into the Trent & Mersey Canal near Glebe Street. Until the early 1970s there was a 100 yard stretch of navigable Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal here which was used as moorings for Stoke Boat Club, this stretch was wiped out when the A500
A500 road
The A500 is a major primary A road in Staffordshire and Cheshire, England. It is dual carriageway for most of its length and connects Nantwich, junctions 16 and 15 of the M6 motorway with the city of Stoke-on-Trent...
by-pass was built. The one remaining item of the canal which can still be seen in Stoke is the site of a bridge in Corporation Street where both parapets have survived at the roads junction with London Road (B5041).
See also
- Canals of Great Britain
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...
- Trent and Mersey CanalTrent and Mersey CanalThe Trent and Mersey Canal is a in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities—east of Burton upon Trent and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal....
External links
- Roots and Routes a detailed timeline of Newcastle-under-Lyme's Canals.
- Waterways of Stoke-on-Trent a detailed description of the route with pictures.
- Online version of Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals