Editing Stoke-upon-Trent (section)

==Growth of Stoke and its transport links==
Stoke was located where the upper reaches of the [[River Trent|Trent]] meets the [[Fowlea Brook]]. The later [[Roman road]] through Stoke remained the basis for local road transport long after the Roman occupation.

The Anglian name given to this ancient place of meeting and worship was the 'stoc' (meeting place) on the Trent. It was the site of the first church in the area, built of wood around the year 670 by missionaries from [[Lindisfarne]], later rebuilt in stone, and now known as [[Stoke Minster]].<ref name="Stoke Minster">{{cite web |url=http://www.stokeminster.com |title=Stoke Minster website}}</ref> A significant small town grew up around this church.

In the 18th century, the "Grand Trunk" canal came along the Trent valley to carry [[china clay]] from [[Cornwall]] cheaply to the Potteries (and pottery safely away). Many of the promoters of the canal were pottery magnates.

In the 19th century, the railways, too, came along the valley. The mainline [[Stoke-on-Trent railway station]] was opened by the [[North Staffordshire Railway]] (NSR) on 9 October 1848, replacing the temporary station sited at Whieldon Road which was constructed for the opening of the first NSR line on 17 April 1848. Travellers to the region would change trains at Stoke for local trains to their ticketed destination.