We sat down and did a bit of re-planning this morning with a second option, the reason for this was yesterday afternoon CRT issued a stoppage notice for the Trent and Mersey canal at lock 62 on the Cheshire flight that we need to pass through. We decided that if they didn’t have a repair date published by the time we reached Etruria we would turn left and go down to Gt Haywood, then along the Staffs and Worce, up the Shropshire Union, across the Middlewich branch and reach Anderton that way. Longer days but we would still reach the dry dock on time, thankfully CRT sent out an update at lunch time saying its sorted so we are now waiting at Harecastle Tunnel.
All of the above made us a bit late setting off and a couple of boats had gone by.Norton Green lift bridge behaved itself and we were soon at Engine lock 4 which was empty, the boat ahead of us.
Some years ago there was a canal closure at what was bridge 17, long removed. The land owner was doing some ground work and managed to knock the wingwall into the cut, this is it today.
A short way passed this CRT are re-pilling the towpath. I think they are running level from the old piling at the south end but probably 200mm high where it meets at the north end. We will see how it all pans out in good time.
Soon it was another lift bridge, again powered and it worked perfectly, I dropped Diana off, she put the key in, pressed the button and up it went.
For me this is where it want pare shaped, no power, I very slowly edged through the bridge having to use the bow thruster to steer as the tiller did nowt, thankfully we didn’t hold up a string of cars as I crept through and against the bank the other side. Down the weedhatch to find what I thought was a blanket wrapped round the prop with a lump of branch nipping it all up tight, with the aid of the Stanley knife the stick was removed and the offending item removed, it turned out to be a kiddies top.
Beside bridge 8 is a brand new Lidl store and there are good moorings just north of the bridge. It was while Diana was shopping I read the email about the lock being repaired.
As the pressure was now lifted we decided to have lunch before moving on. When we came up the workmen were digging holes just inside the fence at Lidl and we thought they may be setting some large trees, but what they were actually setting were bat boxes on poles.
The pavilion in Hanley Park looks quite magnificent now as does the band stand, this trip is the first time we have ever seen the bridge without a wooden hording on it. Lets hope it stays looking this good.
We stopped for water and to dump the rubbish at Etruria and while we were there it started raining, up until now it had been a lovely day. 3 Black Prince boats came by while we were filling making their way up the Caldon in convoy. We pushed off and it was still raining a bit but by the time we left the junction it was hammering it down and this continued until we almost reached Burslem Port.As we approached Long Port Wharf there was quite a crowed on the towpath, I am not sure if it was a guided walk but Diana counted 37 of them, at least it wasn’t raining on them at the moment.
There were only 4 boats moored at West Port Lakes, I have never known it so empty but we decided to carry on and moor for the night at the tunnel mouth, ready for a transit through in the morning.
Today’s Journey
9½ miles, 4 locks in 4¾ hours
No comments:
Post a Comment