- home ›
- in your area ›
- leicestershire ›
- shardlow
Shardlow
There has been a settlement at Shardlow since before the Doomsday Book was written, and the town was an important inland port on the River Trent long before the coming of the canals.
When the Trent & Mersey Canal was built and opened in 1777 - largely due to the efforts of the potter Josiah Wedgewood - Shardlow, at its eastern limit, took on new importance, quadrupling in population in just fifty years. The wharf at Shardlow is now a designated conservation area.
Canal architecture at Shardlow
Visitors can view some fine canalside warehouses, a Heritage Centre and, a little to the east, a marina on the River Trent - as well as some imposing homes, such as Broughton House and Shardlow Hall, built by the wealthy canal merchants of the time. There are several pubs, a cafe and a restaurant at the wharf.
The popular Sawley Bridge Marina is located a little under three miles to the east.
