Description: Trent Corn Mills No 2, part of the inland port at Shardlow on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Built in 1780 it straddles an arm of the canal, boats being unloaded under the cover of the central archway. Originally it was probably intended as a general purpose warehouse but after the railways began to take traffic from the canal system it was adapted, as depicted here after falling into disuse, to grind corn by F E Stevens Ltd. It was listed Grade II in 1971 when semi-derelict and in 1979 was restored for use as a pub and restaurant called The Clock Warehouse.
Shardlow is one of two inland canal ports in Britain (the other is Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire), although even before the arrival of the Trent and Mersey Canal in the 1770s it was an important transport location. Known at this time as Wilden Ferry as there was a rope-worked crossing of the River Trent prior to it being bridged in 1761, it was the effective head of navigation on the river and was a base for carriers, one of whom, Leonard Fosbrooke, built Shardlow Hall in 1684. The canal greatly increased this trade which then encompassed coal, limestone, freestone, gypsum, bar-iron, lead, pottery, beer, cheese, timber, pig-iron, flint, chert, malt and barley. It remained an active port (though in decline) until the early 1950s, after which some of the buildings were demolished but eventually the canal area was given conservation status in 1978. This then resulted in a revival and today Shardlow is busy again, albeit with leisure craft based both at the old wharves and at newly constructed marinas to the east of the village. Boat-building is also still carried on such is the continuing demand for canal-going pleasure craft in the 21st century.
WOULD PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS OF THIS IMAGE PLEASE NOTE IT IS NOT PARTICULARLY SHARP.