 The area of north Staffordshire known today as the City of Stoke @-@ on @-@ Trent was already a thriving industrial area before the arrival of the railways . The establishment of the pottery industry and the development of coal and ironstone mines in the 18th century had provided a need for materials , most noticeably clay , to be brought into the area . A corresponding need also arose for the resulting fragile goods i.e. pottery to be taken away from the area . This need had given rise in the mid to late 18th century of the construction of the Trent & Mersey Canal ( T & M ) and its various branches . Opened in 1777 it was a spectacular success and paid dividends reaching 75 % in 1822 . By 1845 this had fallen to a still impressive 30 % despite the onset of railway development in the North West of England . In 1836 the canal carried 184 @,@ 500 long tons ( 187 @,@ 461 t ; 206 @,@ 640 short tons ) of goods away and brought in 143 @,@ 610 long tons ( 145 @,@ 914 t ; 160 @,@ 843 short tons ) . 
