Historic tunnel could be reopened

The 120ft passage runs from the Leopard Inn, a listed building in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, to the former Norris Brewery across the road.

The tunnel was bricked up in 1957 but the new landlord, Neil Crisp, wants to reopen it for public viewing.

The Leopard Inn is famous as the place where Josiah Wedgwood and James Brindley met to discuss building the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1765.

'Very lucky'

Local historian Fred Hughes said the meeting between Mr Wedgwood and Mr Brindley was "very important to the development of the Industrial Revolution".

He said: "History was made here in this pub and there's no doubt about that."

The tunnel was built in the 1920s so barrels of beer could be rolled from the brewery to the pub.

Mr Crisp said: "We're very lucky that we actually found it here in Burslem.

"What we've got is a landmark voted one of the 12 most important pubs in the country.

"What we'd like to do working with the people of Burslem is to open it up and say.. let her be the centre that she once was."

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Stoke-on-Trent City Council
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