Bedford Street Staircase Locks

view of both locks (no 1 at the bottom) from Etruria Basin - 2012
on the top left is Bedford Industrial Estate (on the site of the former Bedford Pottery Works)

Bedford Street Staircase Locks on the Caldon Canal
to the right is the location of the former Ridgway Bedford pottery works

1832 map - in dark blue is the Trent & Mersey Canal and in light blue the Caldon Canal
the staircase locks marked in red
to the left of the locks the location of the Old Infirmary and the Gas Works can be seen

Foot bridge over the Caldon Canal at the Bedford Street Locks - this is Bedford Street
on the right is Bedford Street Industrial Estate - in the distance is St. Mark's Church, Shelton

taken from Lower Bedford Street - to the right is the foot bridge - to the left are the staircase locks

the staircase lock on the Caldon Canal at Etruria c. 1970
photo: Ken & Joan Davis

In the background, top left, is Shelton Bar Iron & Steel Works. The works on the right of the picture have gone and houses on James Brindley Close are now on this site.
The canal swings round to the left and joins the Trent & Mersey Canal which can just be seen on the photo - the Etruria Industrial Museum is at the junction of the two canals, it is part of Jessie Shirley's bone & flint grinding operation that was carried on until October 2011.
The first hospital in the area "A Dispensary and House of Recovery" was opened here in 1804 - it stood near the large brick wall in the forground of this picture.
In 1867 The buildings of the original Infirmary and the surrounding land were purchased by the British Gas Light Company for £1,000. On this ground were built the extensions to the first gas works.
The row of houses in the distance are on Pretoria Road, Etruria and the the right can be seen Etruria Vale Road.