DISTANCES BY ROADS FROM THIS STATION TO THE FOLLOWING PLACES:—
Places W. ofStation. | Places E. ofStation. | ||
Maer | 1¾ mile. | Newcastle-under-Lyme | 5 miles. |
Chapel Chorlton | 3 miles. | Trentham | 5 — |
Ashley | 3½ — | Wolstanton | 6½ — |
Standon | 5 — | Shelton | 7 — |
Broughton | 5½ — | Stoke | 7 — |
Mucklestone or Muxton | 6 — | Burslem | 7½ — |
Norton | 7½ — | Hanley | 7½ — |
Market Drayton | 10 — | Tunstall | 8½ — |
| Lane End | 8½ — | |
| Norton-on-the-Moor | 9 — | |
| Leek | 16 — | |
CHAPTER V.
WHITMORE TO CREWE,
Ten and ¾ Miles.
An extensive heathy bog is traversed by the line, after leaving Whitmore station, and, as we have heard an ancient tradition anent it, will tell the tale for the edification of our readers, “extenuating nothing.”
Once upon a time there was a large forest in this part, and when the Romans were amusing themselves with hunting our worthy ancestors, a large body of the ancient Britons took refuge therein. In order to come at them these terrible Romans set fire to the forest, which burnt in a very fearful and dreadful manner; but our information does not extend to the exact measure of scorching endured by the miserable prisoners within this fiery fence, or whether they escaped by flight, or were consumed wholesale in the burning forest, which, with the accumulation of vegetable matter during past ages, has formed the bog, now “passed with the swiftness of tornado-blast,” by “Wildfires” and “Rockets.”
Opposite the Bog-house is one of the highest points of the line, the road inclining towards Liverpool one way, and towards Birmingham the other. Snape Hall is prettily situated among rich woods on the E. of the line; and a short distance farther Barr Hill appears on the W. It is a considerable elevation, and on a clear day, Liverpool may be seen from it. Madeley Parks and Manor House lie W. of the line. The latter is the seat of Lady Cunliffe, daughter of Lord Crewe, to whose family, the adjoining land, formerly a fine deer park, anciently belonged. Hay House, a small, old, brick building, stands close to the line of railway on the E. One cannot help feeling an odd sort of commiseration for these ancient abodes of the last generation, which have stood, and grown old and grey, in the once quiet and out-of-the-world nooks where the convenience of the farmer, or the retired taste of the small country squire, had located them; and now, to see the iron ribs of the innovating railroad carried up to their very threshold, has something of sadness in it, even in the midst of our modern pride and gratulation. It is like pert youth, exhibiting and vaunting of its strength and valorous deeds, to decrepid and helpless age. But what have we to do with such dreams? “Locomotives” wait for no man’s fancies, and we must e’en follow their course. Soon after passing which, we reach
Madeley Station.
Distance to Birmingham, 46—Liverpool and Manchester, 51½ miles.
DISTANCES BY ROADS FROM THIS STATION TO THE FOLLOWING PLACES:—
Places W. ofStation. | Places E. ofStation. | ||
Woore | 2½ miles. | Betley | 3 miles. |
Norton | 5½ — | Newcastle | 5 — |
Mucklestone or Muxton | 5½ — |
| |
Audlem | 7 — |
| |
Adderley | 9½ — |
| |
Burley Dam | 11 — |
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Whitchurch | 15 — |
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