[1] Highlights include the Industrial Canal Heritage of the Stoke-on-Trent potteries region, the wealthy pasturelands of Cheshire, to the stunning remote sandstone cuttings of Shropshire.

It rises through Stanthorne Lock and is then crossed by the West Coast Main Line running between Crewe and Winsford.

Beyond the bridge, the River Weaver is just to the west of the canal, and there are good views over Winsford Top Flash, a large lake caused by subsidence from salt extraction.

It passes Church Minshull, popularised by the writer and campaigner Tom Rolt, who stopped there in his boat Cressy, before crossing over the Weaver on another aqueduct.

There are two more locks, separated by a bridge carrying the Chester and Crewe Railway, after which the route reaches Barbridge Junction and the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal.

After a short distance, another branch of the Shropshire Union system turns to the west at Hurleston Junction.

The open countryside is briefly interrupted by the town of Market Drayton, where the run-down wharf has been rejuvenated.

The skills of the original builders are visible on the next section, as the canal sits on top of the high Shebdon Embankment, and then passes through Grub Street Cutting.

There were continual problems with slippage during its construction, and it was the final part of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal to be completed, having taken five and a half years of solid work to build.

[10] At Gnosall the canal passes under an abandoned railway line and the A518 road before entering a short tunnel at Cowley.

Cuttings and embankments enable the canal to reach Wheaton Aston, where there is a single lock, after which Stretton Spoil Bank brings the canal to Stretton Aqueduct, a cast iron structure that crosses the A5 road, which follows the route of the Roman Watling Street at this point.

[11][8] At Autherley Junction, the route turns sharp left to follow the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal northwards.

Locks tend to occur singly, rather than in flights, but the initial section is part of the summit pound, and so is level for the first 7.8 miles (12.6 km).

By the A5 road, and a little to the east, are the two Gailey Reservoirs, which can feed into the canal via the Hatherton Branch, but are now seldom used for this purpose.

After two more locks and the village of Acton Trussell the motorway turns to the west to bypass Stafford, and the canal becomes peaceful again.

On the southern edge of Stoke-on-Trent, the River Trent turns to the north-east, while the canal crosses it on an aqueduct and heads to the north-west.