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Ceramic Trail Site 1

Upton Magna Village Store and Café
Hidden Waterways is an intergenerational community project delivered by The Hive, exploring the heritage and tales behind Shropshire’s hidden canals and waterways. Through engagement with creative workshops, the project focuses on storytelling to improve mental and emotional wellbeing, whilst encouraging community cohesion and pride in the local area.

Shrewsbury Canal Historical Information
Getting coal to Shrewsbury by road was becoming increasingly tricky and expensive. The idea was put forward for a canal linking the coalfields of East Shropshire (around Oakengates) with the centre of Shrewsbury.
Josiah Clowes was employed as engineer (replaced by Thomas Telford after Clowes death in 1794) and the canal was officially opened in 1797.
The Shrewsbury Canal ran from Trench, via what was, later, Wappenshall Junction, and terminated at what we now call The Buttermarket. At Berwick Wharf, it served Attingham Park and also ran alongside the Flaxmill delivering coal for its steam engine. In 1835 Shrewsbury was connected to the national canal network via the Newport canal from Wappenshall Junction to the Birmingham and Liverpool canal at Norbury Junction. The last working boat reached Shrewsbury in 1936. Thank you to SNCT volunteer Margaret Cann for her support with this historical information.

Please explore the images, videos and audio clips below to learn about the people who lived and worked on the Shrewsbury Canal and to see a birds-eye-view of how the waterways look now.

Nature to spot along the Towpaths and Tiles:
The Towpaths and Canal are home for a wealth of wildlife and different plants. As you walk, look out for Cowslips, Bulrushes, Yellow Iris, Dragonflies, Butterflies, Water Voles, Tench, Pike and Moorhens along the towpath and the Ceramic Tiles.

Poetry created in community workshops with artist Jean Atkin.

Haughmond Hill was the destination for the Easter Picnics of local children. Hear memories of this, and many more memories below.

Please be aware these sites are situated along a canal which is in the process of being regenerated by Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust volunteers. As such, we advise you to stay on the towpath and wear suitable outdoor footwear. You enter at your own risk and under your own supervision. Children must be supervised at all times.

SNCT – Working to restore the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals for the benefit of the Community and the Environment. We are always looking for volunteers, if you are interested please get in touch: http://www.sncanal.org.uk/ or call 01743 761447 for membership enquiries.

Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ShrewsburyAndNewportCanalTrust

Thanks to: We have received an enormous amount of support from Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust and their volunteers (Margaret Cann, Chas Warren, Stuart Dady and Andrew Dady), along with Paul Hutchinson from Drone Rangers, Ben Crane’s groundwork and Fil Poli at Condover Forge. Thanks also to Mel Board from Upton Magna Village Store and Café for providing a site for the first panel.

Ceramic Trail created by: Mike Griffiths, Huw Powell Roberts and Stephanie Kelly with Mythstories Home Education Group, St Giles C of E Primary School and families who participated in a ceramic workshop at Upton Magna Memorial Hall on May 1st 2023. It also incorporates Oral History recordings from SNCT archives, and poems created during a workshop led by Jean Atkin. Map: Ceramic Transfer Map by M Griffiths based on a map drawn by Lilian Hayward in 1950. Photos: Photos courtesy of Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust and Paul Shooter.