The Canal Built To Save Fine China: A Narrowboat Journey
Off grid narrowboat living on the UK canal network puts you on water that shaped Britain. This week we are on the Trent and Mersey Canal, one of the most important waterways ever built, arriving in Stone, Staffordshire, where we moor overnight opposite the iconic Joule's Brewery warehouse. Joule's has been brewing here since 1779, two years after this canal opened, and their pub has just been named Great British Pub of the Year 2025. The next morning we work a flight of four locks toward Barlaston and the Wedgwood factory - to find out why Britain's canals were actually built. The answer is Wedgwood. Josiah Wedgwood, often called the world's first tycoon and the father of modern marketing, was losing more than half of everything his factory produced to breakage on the roads. So in 1766, before America was even a country, he co-funded and helped build the Trent and Mersey Canal. Then he built his Etruria factory on the canal bank so barges could collect directly from the kiln. We visit the V&A Wedgwood Collection at Barlaston, arriving by water exactly as intended, to find out how a pottery company changed Britain forever. If you are researching why the canals were built, Josiah Wedgwood canal history, Trent and Mersey Canal history, Stone Staffordshire canal, Joule's Brewery Stone, Great British Pub of the Year 2025, Wedgwood factory Barlaston, V&A Wedgwood Collection, canal locks how they work, industrial revolution canals, narrowboat canal history, off grid narrowboat living on the UK canal network, canal boat lifestyle UK, narrowboat Staffordshire, slow travel UK, or alternative lifestyle UK, this is an honest account from two people who live it full time. Episode Facts: Canal: Trent and Mersey Canal Overnight mooring: Stone, Staffordshire, opposite Joule's Brewery warehouse Joule's Brewery: Great British Pub of the Year 2025, brewing since 1779 Trent and Mersey Canal opened: 1777 Canal length: 93 miles, connecting the Mersey to the Trent Josiah Wedgwood: Co-promoter and part-funder of the Trent and Mersey Canal Etruria factory: Built on the canal bank in 1769, eight years before the canal opened 🎵 Original soundtrack composed and produced by Adam (PhD in audio-visual composition, University of Leeds) Who are The Floating Nomads? We are Rick and Adam, The Floating Nomads. We sold the house and now split our time between our UK narrowboat Serenissima and months of slow travel abroad by train, ferry and water. Whether spending winters in Malta and the Mediterranean or travelling from the Caribbean to Southampton on a repositioning cruise, we share the honest reality of life on the move. Our films combine Rick's marketing background with Adam's music PhD to capture the authentic atmosphere of every place we visit. Support the Journey New films: Every Friday evening (UK time). Channel members: Early access every Thursday, starting at just £2.99 per month. Members also unlock exclusive B-Side videos. Click Join under any video to support our work. Joining on a browser rather than the YouTube app means more of your support reaches us directly. Apple take a 30% cut from all in-app purchases. If you can, please join via a browser on your phone or computer. Chapters: 0:00:00 The Canal Built From Broken Pottery 0:00:46 On the Trent & Mersey Canal 0:01:54 Stone: Water Stop and M&S 0:04:05 Finding a Mooring in Stone 0:05:05 Joule's Brewery 0:07:31 Britain's Best Pub 0:11:25 Day Two: The Wedgwood Story 0:12:33 How Canal Locks Work 0:15:49 The Wedgwood Estate 0:16:44 Inside the V&A Wedgwood Collection 0:19:22 The Wedgwood Shop 0:19:57 The Grand Canal #NarrowboatLife #UKCanals #NarrowboatUK #LifeOnTheCanals #CanalLife #TrentAndMerseyCanal #StoneStaffordshire #NarrowboatLiving #LiveAboard #OffGridLiving #CanalsOfEngland #JoulesBrewing #WedgwoodHistory #CanalHistory #IndustrialRevolution #FloatingNomads #CanalLocks #Wedgwood #BritishHistory #NarrowboatMooring #CanalBoat #UKWaterways #SlowTravelUK #Barlaston