Etruria Industrial Museum

What it’s like

A working Victorian steam mill you can walk round most Fridays, with the engine actually turning on special weekends.

This is a proper old canalside mill, not a rebuilt version of one. You wander through the Victorian building on most Fridays, and on a handful of special weekends a year the steam engine is actually running, which is when the place really earns its ticket price. It's £6 to look round when the mill isn't in steam, £10 when it is, and there's a guided tour option on top if you want someone to explain what you're looking at rather than guessing.

Kids from toddler age up to about 16 can get something out of it, though it leans more towards the school-age end who'll actually follow what a steam-powered mill was for. There's no set kids' activity as such, it's a tour round a working building, so a curious seven or eight-year-old will get more out of it than a two-year-old who just wants to run at machinery. The listed building means access inside is limited in places, which is worth knowing if you've got a pushchair or a wheelchair to manage.

Fridays run 10:30 to 3, and you don't need to book, you just turn up. The big weekends, like the Etruria Canals Festival and the engine rallies in September, push last entry to 4:30 and that's when the mill's most likely to be in steam, so if you want to see it actually working rather than just standing still, those are the dates to aim for. Heritage Open Days in September drops the price altogether and knocks the guided tour down to £10.

There's parking nearby, a café on site, and toilets including an accessible one, so you can make a proper couple of hours of it without having to plan round facilities. Picnics are allowed too if you fancy sitting by the canal afterwards. It's also reachable on foot from Stoke station along the towpath, about 20 minutes, if you'd rather not drive.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Ages 7 to 16 who'll follow how a steam mill works

Last entry

3:00pm (Fridays), or 4:30pm at special events

Booking

Walk-ups most Fridays. Booking available at other times subject to volunteer availability

Parking

Main car park off Kilndown Close

Wheelchairs

Limited access to mill building

Getting there by bus or train

Stoke-on-Trent train station approximately 20 minutes walk along Trent and Mersey canal tow path

• Heritage Open Days in September cuts the price and drops the guided tour to £10
• The mill being 'in steam' isn't guaranteed every special event, it depends on repairs going well
• Booking outside of Fridays depends on volunteer availability, so it's not guaranteed
• The Trent and Mersey canal towpath makes a pleasant walk in from Stoke station

Plan your visit

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