The Geography of the Potteries

The River Trent around Stoke-on-Trent

As it travels through the city the River Trent is only 2-3ft deep and 4-6ft wide.

The Trent rises to the north-west of Stoke-on-Trent between Biddulph and Mow Cop at about 700 feet above sea level. The stream almost immediately, passes into Knypersley Pools, where several streams unite, with the surplus water proceeding from Biddulph Moor.
The Trent now flows on 3 miles to Norton, below which (in Stoke town) a considerable tributary comes in called the Fowlea Brook which rises near the Trent source, and flows through a parallel valley. The united stream flows about 3 miles to Stoke-upon-Trent, passing the town of Hanley and a long line of thickly-populated country, which it leaves to the west.
Beyond Stoke it flows 2 miles further to Hanford, where it receives the Lyme from the north, a brook about 5 miles long flowing near Newcastle. A short distance from this it enters Trentham Park, where it forms a lake of about 80 acres. After leaving Trentham it flows near Barlaston, being fed by waters from the high lands about Hilderstone, and passing west of Stone it flows southeast near Sandon, Salt and Weston-on-Trent.

Elevation

The Potteries lie in a shallow depression on the south west edge of the Pennines. On the northwest side of the county of Staffordshire an elevated ridge continues past Cloud Hill and over Congleton Edge and Mow Cop, and the elevation in many places is over 1,000 feet above the sea. Mow Cop is half in Staffordshire and half in Cheshire. At nearly 1091ft (almost 335 metres) above sea-level.

The highest point in the city is Goldenhill, north of Tunstall, at 700ft above sea-level.
The Chells (Little & Great Chell) lie on the ridge east of Scotia Brook, at mainly 600ft and Tunstall around 500ft.

The eastern part of the borough of Burslem lay along a north-south ridge between 600 and 700 feet above sea-level. From this ridge two spurs slope westwards to below 400ft, with Burslem on one spur and Cobridge on the other. Middleport is about 420 ft above sea-level.

Hanley encompasses a large change in height from 400ft along the route of the Trent, on the north-east, to over 600ft on the Birches Head side of the town. At nearly 600 feet above the sea level, Hanley is accounted one of the highest market towns in England. Etruria canal junction is 408ft above sea level.

Stoke town, around the River Trent and Fowlea Brook area is below 350ft but it rises steeply to over 525ft around Penkhull and Hartshill.

In the northern part of Fenton there is open country which rises to over 600ft. In the south, below Grove Road the land rises to 500ft.

Newcastle-under-Lyme is situated on a ridge to the north-west of the city of Stoke-on-Trent and stands at about 500ft. The pithead wheel at Apedale Country Park near Newcastle stands 750 feet above sea-level.

Geology

The geology of North Staffordshire
-click for bigger map-

Alternate layers of coal and sandstone underlie the area of Stoke-on-Trent.
Gravel and red sandstone form the basis of Park Hall and Trentham.

Stoke-on-Trent lies at the point of erosion where the coal seams have been preserved but are close enough to the surface to be easily mined.
There also happens to be coarse and fine clays and ironstone.

This combination of geological features gave rise to the North Staffordshire Potteries of Stoke-on-Trent.

	Potteries and Churnet Valley: Characteristics at the end of the 20th Century.
	Geology of North Staffordshire: Showing coal and clay deposits, faults and waterways.
	Evidence of subsidence in Stoke-on-Trent There is large scale subsidence in the city - equivalent to that experienced in earthquake zones. This is caused by the collapse of mining workings.
	Urban Structure of Stoke-on-Trent: The City of Stoke-on-Trent is formed from an amalgam of towns and villages that have expanded and merged.
	Townscape Interest: List of all areas of interest in and around the city.