A new heritage canoe trail has opened that will take tourists of all abilities through Stoke-on-Trent and The Potteries to Froghall Wharf, on the edge of the Peak District.
This new route will be accessible for people of all ages as well as abilities.
It has been created as part of Stoke-on-Trent being named the UK European City of Sport 2016, and includes markers to guide canoeists along the canal, which is 20 miles long.
The trail was developed soon after Stoke-on-Trent’s Joe Clarke won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics for canoe slalom.
The route has been divided into five parts along the Trent and Mersey canal and the Caldon canal, starting from Westport Lake in Burslem.
The first part of the trail includes Middleport Pottery, known as the home of Burleigh ware and the BBC TV show Great Pottery Throw Down, and continues to the city centre of Hanley.
Stoke-on-Trent and The Potteries is where Josiah Wedgewood and his fellow manufacturers planned to build a canal beyond the scale of anything done before.
The trail can be enjoyed in several ways: short trips lasting around one to two hours; trips that can take a whole day; or longer experiences that can be completed over several days.
Places to visit along the way include: Middleport Pottery and cafe, the Emma Bridgewater Factory and cafe, Churnet Valley Steam Railway, and many historic canal-side pubs.
A route map is available which includes a breakdown of all that is included, such as its historical landmarks and points of interest. The trail is also well sign posted with different coloured route plaques.
Cyclists can also take part, as cycle paths run parallel to the canal.
Canoe hire is expected to be available from next summer.
For more information visit www.visitstoke.co.uk/see-do/canals or phone 0178-2236000.
