Burton upon Trent

Burton upon Trent, town located on the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, west Midlands of England. The town is famous for its breweries, which have flourished here thanks to the high content of gypsum in the local water; rubber manufacture, footwear production, food production, and engineering are other major industries. The brewing activity in the town originated with Benedictine monks who founded an abbey there in 1004. A 12th-century bridge crosses the Trent. A second river crossing, St Peter's Bridge, was opened in 1985. The Bass Museum of Brewing shows the history of the town's famous trade. Population (1991) 60,000.