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The Tern Valley Trail - Withington
Telford's Links
When Thomas Telford drove the Shrewsbury Canal through the area at the end of the 1700s, St John's also became notable for its close proximity to Withington wharf, which stood between the church and the road to Walcot. The waterway remained a vital means of communication with the outside world until at least the 1920s, when 30 tons of coal were brought to the village by water once a month, from Littleton Colliery, near Cannock.
Little trace of the waterway, which bounded the churchyard on its southeast side, remains and the distinctive wooden lift bridges that once carried many of the roads comprising the Tern Valley Trail over the lost waterway have now vanished. However, the former canal is not Withington's only association with the famous civil engineer and the local blacksmith's forge (which was formerly located in the centre of the village, opposite the Hare and Hounds pub) is reputed to have cast some of the chain links for Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge.