Disadvantages of River Navigation 159 



adequate embankments, and of ever-varying channels, what- 

 ever the energy and the outlay in meeting or trying to meet 

 conditions such as these, there still remained the considera- 

 tion that, even assuming all the difficulties in regulating, 

 improving and controlling could be surmounted, river trans- 

 port itself was an inadequate alternative to bad roads, (i) 

 because of the length of the land journey that might have 

 to be made before the river was reached ; and (2) because 

 even the best of the rivers only served certain parts of the 

 country, and left undeveloped other districts which were 

 unable to derive due benefit from their great natural resources 

 by reason of defective communications. 



Each of these points calls for some consideration, in order 

 that the position of the traders at the period in question 

 may be clearly understood. 



In regard to the distance at which manufacturers might be 

 situated from a navigable river, I would point to the position 

 of the pottery trade in North Staffordshire. 



The pottery industry had been introduced into Burslem in 

 1690, though it made comparatively little progress until the 

 time of Josiah Wedgwood, who began to manufacture there 

 in 1759. One of the reasons for the slow growth, down to his 

 day, was the trouble and expense the pottery-makers ex- 

 perienced in getting their raw materials and in sending away 

 their manufactured goods. 



Following on the improvement of the Weaver, under the 

 Act of 1720, there were three rivers of which the pottery- 

 makers in North Staffordshire made more or less use the 

 Weaver itself, the Trent and the Severn. On the Weaver 

 the nearest available point to the Potteries was Winsford 

 Bridge, a distance of twenty miles by road. On the Trent 

 the principal river-port for the Potteries was Willington, 

 about four miles east of Burton-on-Trent, and over thirty 

 miles by road from the Potteries. To the Severn inland ports 

 the distances by road from the Potteries, via Eccleshall and 

 Newport, were : 



From To Miles. 



Newcastle (Staff.) . Bridgnorth ... 39 



Burslem ... ,, ... 42^ 



Newcastle (Staff.) . Bewdley ... 54 

 Burslem ... . 57$ 



