Caldon Canal: Etruria

Reader's Letters & Queries: NarrowBoat, Winter 2009

Basil Jeuda’s Historical Profile (Summer 2009 NB), and the followup (Autumn 2009 NB) brought to light much interesting data. The 1816 plan of Etruria shows the main line before the original summit lock and nearby staircase pair were bypassed – the extract from my Canals of North Staffordshire (right) shows how this relates to the present layout. The short branch to Etruria, or Shelton, Basin probably existed prior to the Caldon being built, but I cannot find any documentary proof of this. The waybill shown here records an internal traffic on the Caldon: coal from Norton Colliery in their own boat to Leek. Cockshead Lock is an earlier name for the present Engine Lock. The name of the colliery owner is pure coincidence! Richard Dean, Biddulph, Staffordshire…