Stoke on Trent Heritage Trail: Westport Lake to Etruria Junction

1-2 hours

Duration

2.5 miles

Distance

One Way

Easy

Difficulty

ST6 4RZ

Start Postcode

ST1 4RB

End Postcode

A. Access to the canal is from the bridge by the car park entrance. Put in and turn right along the canal.

B. After only a short distance you reach Longport. Here, the wharf and warehouses retain their association with the canal, housing a boat-building company, while the surrounding Dale Hall, New Bridge and Albion potteries have all been incorporated into the expanding Steelite works, which supplies tableware for hotels and restaurants around the globe.

C. Only a little further along the canal you reach Middleport Pottery. A popular visitor destination in the heart of Burslem.

D. More calcining ovens can be seen at Newport, where a half-mile branch canal once led to a wharf complex where goods were transhipped onto a tramway into the centre of Burslem. The former Shropshire Union warehouse still stands near the branch's terminus and there are plans to restore the route.

E. The two saints footpath departs the canal towpath at around 1.25 miles, before you reach Festival Park, on your left, at 1.5 miles.

F. After two miles of paddling you’re entering Etruria. You will see a Toby Carvery and marina on your left. Continue under the A53 road bridge. Where the canal splits, take the left branch to reach your finish point, on your right, outside the Etruria Industrial Museum.

Discover More

Take a paddling trip through the history of industry on one of the Stoke on Trent Heritage Trails. There is a series of short and medium trails you can paddle, as well as the full trail, which is a whole day trip.

The importance of the Trent & Mersey Canal’s summit to the development of the Potteries during the 18th and 19th centuries cannot be overstated. Factories and warehouses fought to secure plots along the route, in much the same way as businesses that line the nearby A500 do today. Local place names reflect the presence of numerous wharfs serving the northernmost pottery towns of Tunstall and Burslem as we paddle from Westport and through Longport, Middleport and Newport.

Westport Lake Visitor Centre opened in 2012. It has a great view of the lake and serves food and drinks. Details at: www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk

Middleport Pottery still makes the distinctive Burleigh ware and has found fame as the venue for TV’s Great Pottery Throw Down. The remaining bottle oven is one of at least six at this otherwise complete example of a Victorian potbank. The former wharf invites boaters to moor up and is also a good place from which paddlers may explore the area. Other canalside buildings here include the former Anderton warehouse, whose overhanging canopy was used to winch boats out of the water, and the Port Vale Flour Mill. The neighbouring calcining mill has an oblong oven that was used to process animal bones for the manufacture of bone china.

Take a tour of the museum and visit its cafe to see the Potteries as it used to be. www.middleportpottery.co.uk

Between Newport and Etruria, the canal travels across a landscape reclaimed from heavy industry. The area was the site of various coal mines and the blast furnaces and rolling mills of the Shelton Steelworks. Much of the industry had gone in 1986 when the land on the east of the canal was reimagined for the National Garden Festival. Successful regeneration resulted in today’s Festival Park and its retail, business and leisure facilities.

Etruria was also the name Josiah Wedgwood gave to his factory and workers’ village. Etruria Hall survives as part of the Moat House hotel complex on the hill, but the Roundhouse by bridge 117 is all that remains of the factory, which suffered from the subsidence that affected the surrounding land. At Etruria Junction, the Trent & Mersey starts its descent as our trail turns left on to the Caldon Canal. Paddlers may wish to explore the area, which has numerous canal buildings, a statue of James Brindley. staircase locks and the Etruria Industrial Museum with its working beam engine.

Licence Information

The waterways in this trail are managed by the Canal & River Trust, and it is a requirement for paddlers to hold a licence. Paddle UK’s On The Water membership includes an annual licence for here as well as other waterways.

When paddling, have your membership card with you as proof of licence; otherwise, you could face a fine. Get your digital membership card straight away with your licence and liability insurance included from www.paddleuk.org.uk.

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Environment

Wherever and however you paddle, our Paddlers’ Code helps to ensure we can all enjoy and share the water safely and protect our precious environment.

Don’t get sick doing what you love. We know water quality is a concern for many paddlers. Click here for some simple advice on water quality and how to protect yourself.

Get informed, stay safe and make good decisions by checking the National Storm Overflow Map

Paddlers can play a vital role in keeping our waters free of harmful non-native species. It is crucial you Check, Clean and Dry you boat and equipment to prevent the spread. Click here for more information on Invasive Non-Native Species.

For more environmental advice and guidance, see our Blue Space Blogs section on the Paddle UK website.