Edward Smith and The Waterloo Hotel, Runcorn blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: The Waterloo Hotel. This iconic building was built in the 1830s and became The Waterloo Hotel c.1840. The building is situated opposite the Bridgewater Canal in an area of Runcorn known as Top Locks. Beginning at Waterloo Bridge behind you, two flights of canal locks used to operate, the 'old line' and the 'new line', the former terminating at Bottom Locks near Bridgewater House. The Waterloo Hotel, along with The Navigation Inn on Canal Street, were once favourite haunts of Captain Edward John (Ted) Smith. He captained RMS Titanic which sank on her maiden voyage in 1912 after hitting an iceberg. Over 1,500 people lost their lives, including Captain Smith. His mother lived in Runcorn and died in 1893. She was buried in Runcorn Cemetery on Greenway Road. The Waterloo Hotel closed in 2012. Today the building is home to the Wat Phra Singh UK Buddhist Temple and Meditation Centre. Recorded plaque organisation: Runcorn Heritage.

Captain Edward John Smith was a British naval officer who captained the RMS Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912, where he perished along with over 1,500 others after the ship hit an iceberg. He frequented The Waterloo Hotel in Runcorn, near his mother's hometown, making the site significant for its connection to one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.