Stone

We set off north this mooring to a sunny day, as expected the locks were against us.At Meaford top lock it was good to see the road bridge in one piece, I think this is only the third time we have passed when it hasn’t been damaged. The red barriers are blocking off the towpath access steps as the hand rails require replacing . We did have a couple of spots of rain and I was surprised to see this rainbow, there must have been more rain there than we were having.

We went as far as the winding hole between Barlaston and Wedgwood where we winded to return back to Stone, needles to say in the last 500 yards we were to meet two boat which we would follow all the way back to Stone waiting at each lock. In Barlaston this ginger cat came round the corner and face to face with the black and white one who was obviously the boss cat, so the ginger one gave him a wide and careful berth.

Many years ago Meaford locks were realigned and the bottom three locks are new. The old line of the locks came in here just below the top lock. The first time I came up here with Harnser I tried winding here and the off side is well silted, I think it took four of us to pull the stern round and the silt was scraped up above the water surface as we pulled her round. Since then there has been a winding hole constructed below the flight.

I don’t think there are many Narrowboats around with its own plunge pool on the cruiser stern, I guess it would be a bit chilly this time of the year.

We carried on down into Stone and were very pleased to see a vacant mooring between Star and Yard lock. Once moored up I fitted a new seal to the weed hatch and we then went to have a closer look at the Joules Crown Wharf Tap House and its a lot bigger than it first appears from the canal.

Today’s Journey 6½ miles 11 Locks in 4½ hours