50 Years on from the Reopening of the Caldon Canal

You are invited to an evening exploring the Caldon Canal, past, present and future.

On Monday 17 June 2024. An illustrated talk by the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust at Foxlowe Arts Centre, Stockwell Street, LEEK, ST13 6AD; doors open 7.10 pm for:

“50 Years on from the Reopening of the Caldon Canal! An evening of archive images, and the future: Etruria, Leek, Rudyard, Froghall, Uttoxeter.”

Admission FREE, open to all. Talk starts 7.30pm. Refreshments available, plus displays and information stand. www.cuct.org.uk

The Caldon Canal opened in 1778, linking into the Trent & Mersey Canal at Etruria which had opened in 1777. The Caldon Canal carried limestone from the quarries at Cauldon Lowe near Froghall; its three reservoirs supplied water to the ‘T&M’. From 1920 commercial traffic reduced until by 1951 it had largely ceased. By the early 1960s the Caldon Canal had become very difficult to navigate from Etruria to Hazelhurst Junction. It was impossible for boats to reach Froghall.

In 1963 the Caldon Canal Committee was formed to campaign for reopening the canal through to Froghall. This later became the Caldon Canal Society. After much restoration work by these volunteers they brought about a partnership between Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and British Waterways Board (BWB) that enabled the completion of the restoration with BWB dredging, installing new lock gates fitting, etc. The Caldon Canal re-opened to navigation on 28 September 1974.