Leek

Plenty of rain again last night but fine when we set off this morning at 10 am but very cloudy. There is no way you should miss sing this pipe bridge.

As Diana brought Harnser into the bottom of the Hazlehurst 3 locks I could see people and a boat at the top lock and before we had lock up the first I could see a boat heading for the middle lock, so that’s one we can leave open. They told me there was a work boat following them down the top lock and by the time Harnser was in the middle lock they were waiting above. It was a Rothen boat with a small dredger on board heading to clear the mud bank further down that stopped us yesterday. The steerer who I know has seen me waving my windlass and she told her partner to leave the gates for us, as he wouldn’t have been able to see us. Once clear of the locks it was a very tight left hander onto the Leek branch, the Marsh Marigoldsare well out but no Bluebells yet.
We met one hire boat on this stretch, thankfully a wide bit and even the sun decided to pay us a visit. Next on the agenda was Leek Tunnel, this has been repaired at some point with pre cast concrete sections. The rest of the construction is large stone blocks, the tunnel is unusually high for a narrow

tunnel, much higher than lots of the bridges on this canal.
Looking up the field on the offside just after the tunnel Diana spotted something white, it turned out to be a large white rabbit, there were another couple further up the field as well as several common coloured ones which were smaller.

Of course we had to go to the very end of the navigation, I think it has silted up a bit since last time we ventured down here, there isn’t room for us

 

to wind at the end so I had to back up to the winding hole by the bridge, we then moored for the night with no other boats here.

Today’s Journey

5 miles and 3 locks in 3 hours

 

If anyone is interested in seeing everywhere we have been this year all our travels are on a Google map HERE  The latest is always the blue one

Cheddleton Flint Mill

We woke to rain but by the time we had finished breakfast it had cleared out and we set off at 10 in quite pleasant weather. Our plan was to spend the night in Froghall Basin on the Uttoxeter Canal, but that didn’t happen.
Before we set off the towpath vegetation management team cam past with strimmer, mower, blower and secateurs for trimming saplings back. The weather didn’t stay fine for long and I suspect these ramblers will have got wet.

We carried on to Cheddleton Flint Mill where Diana jumped ship to find the post box, I carried on through this rather interesting bridge. Please excusethe fallen in towpath edge, its quite common along here. Just beside Cheddleton Top Lock there is an old building called the Old Dock House, this was at one time the Methodist meeting house. The notice on the gable end says it was restored by BWB in 1985, I don’t know how well its been maintained since. Down at the other end of Cheddleton looking across the field is the  Churnet Valley Railway they still have plenty of rolling stock to restore so wont be running of of work any time soon.

We carried on under a very nice new lift bridge that gives access to a field on the towpath side, I wonder if it is ever used? I would imagine the weight limit would be a bit restrictive these days for farm equipment.

We pushed on to Oakmeadow Ford Lock where the canal meets the River Churnet, The indicator was a few inches into the green so safe to continue but I would estimate the flow at about 1½ MPH at the top end, much slower further down where its much wider as we found out when we got down there. CRT had issued an alert about a mud bank, it didn’t say you cant get through, also there was no work going on and the work boats were moored two abreast at the mouth of the bridge, O and it was chucking it down with rain by now. I now had a choice wind or reverse all the way back up the windy river against the flow to the lock. I didn’t fancy trying to wind in front of the weir so reversed back up the river to a point I judged it was wide enough to get round and with the use of the bow thruster pushing the bows against the flow until they were bedded into the mud we got the stern round with about 250mm. to spare. Going back upstream the engine was working much harder

Once clear of the river the rain kindly stopped and we chugged gently back to Cheddleton Mill for the night where we found the Withymoor Island team moored to visit the mill so I was able to update them on the river condition.

 

Today’s Journey

 

8 lock (4 twice) 7¾miles in 4¾ hours

Denford

Back to our normal start time today around 10 am to a nice sunny morning as can be seen from the reflection of this bridge. But looking under the bridge it was no so good. CRT have fixed sheets of Ply or something to the brickwork to try to protect it from the front corners of cabins, but its just ripping the sheets to bit. Why they don’t install fendering at the water level I don’t know.

As we approached Engine Lock we caught up the the Withymoor Island spring cruise so were at the back of a queue of 3. This is quite a deep lock and the bottom paddles are greatly geared, so lots of winding. Since we were last this way Norton Green Lift Bridge has been converted to electrical power with the controls on the tow path side, this makes things a lot easier for single handers.

At Stockton Brook Locks there  was just one boat coming down the flight so they had an easy run, we worked them through one of the locks while we waited. We were still tail end of the convoy. The old Waterworks beside the lock is still looking unloved with lots of broken windows, but still looks structurally sound and secure.

One thing I like about these locks is all the mason marks on the stone blocks.

After the locks we didn’t see the Withymoor until we reached Endon Services where they sorting things out. This looked rather an interesting toy sitting in the open shed, but I suspect its just to look at.The bridge just before the Stoke on Trent boat club and after the old swing bridge , this bridge has lost all its parapet wall, how it happened I don’t know as it doesn’t carry any wheeled traffic.

I think this must be the smallest narrowboat I have ever seen, its actually a trailer, but towing that I would have a smile ear to ear.

When we reached Hazlehurst Junction we met the second boat of the day coming out of the top lock which was handy as we were going down, what wasn’t so good was that the navigation is silted up down at River Churnet, so we will probably wind before there. We locked down the three Hazlehurst Locks and under the new multi thousand pound bridge just below the last lock, that was being worked on last time we were this way.

We carried on passed the Holly Bush pub, we didn’t stop as we are eating onboard and it will leave room for people wanting the pub. We went about another quarter of a mile round the corner and moored for the night.

Todays Journey 7¼ miles, 9 locks in 5¼ hours

Birches Head

I think Diana must have put her clock forward 2 hours as we were away before 9am this morning. The weather app said the sine was shining but outside was very fine rain that slowly works its way everywhere, maybe it was an April Fools Day to catch me out. As the morning progressed the rain got worse and to top it all as I pulled away I picked up a Tesco bag for life, the reinforced ones, same material as builders bags.
Work is still ongoing at Sideway Bridge with rope and fencing in the canal on the offside. This is one of the routes to the football ground.

Looking back at the incinerator you can see how miserable the weather was and this was before it started raining properly.

I think the owner of this boat need to be thinking about getting the c=garden shares out to give it bit of a hair cut, its a bit straggly in places.

We arrived at the bottom of Stoke Locks and there was no queue, the lock was only part full so didn’t take to long to empty. A CRT employee was working hard trying to remove the extra letters that had been added to this “Caution” sign. I couldn’t read the extra letters but what ever they had used to write them wasn’t giving in without a struggle, but at least he was under the bridge out of the rain doing it.

Approaching Cockshute’s lock I could see a boat arriving above so held well back from the railway bridge to give them plenty of room to leave. Stoke Collage have designed a mural for the wall beside the lock hoping people get the message not to dump plastic in the cut..

We met another boat just as we were leaving the lock and then a hire boat just below Johnsons Lock, they looked well experienced and left the gates for us, as we locked up a boat was just leaving the top lock coming down, he said he had come through the tunnel this morning and there were 7 boats waiting to come south.
At Etruria Junction we turned back on our selves to first fill with water and then carry on up the Caldon canal. We had to wait for a boat already on the waterpoint before we could fill up, once that was done, as it was still raining we decided to call it a day and stop on the 48 hr moorings. I took a short walk to look at the old mill and I see it still has a large hole in the roof.

After lunch the rain stopped so we decided to carry on and go a bit further. For some reason Bedford Staircase lock was set ready for us, bottom chamber empty and top one full. Not sure how that could happen other than leaky gates/paddles.

As we passed Hanley Park we were pestered by some youngsters to give them a ride, something I have mixed feelings about but we refused, one of them climbed over the railings of bridge 5A as if to jump down onto the roof but thankfully thought better of it.
There are some interesting old in Hanley, I don’t

know what this long terraced building was, but the name is quite visible on the second one we passed. Johnson Brothers, sanitary manufacturers.

By now the weather was quite pleasant but we saw some inviting piling to moor against between bridges 14 and 14A so decided to call it a day.

Today’s Journey 8 locks, 6¾ miles 4 hours

Trentham

It was a little after 10 when we set off, a nice lull in the traffic so we were hoping for a nice run up the locks, in the end it took 2 hours to do 4 locks. As we approached Star Lock there was a boat on the waterpoint who had just finished watering up but were still packing away and Star was in our favour, a good start. Then we got to Yard Lock where a boat was waiting for the lock and so it went on. It’s nice to see they have cleared up around the Lady at  the lock.

Above the lock Canal Cruising had a lot of their fleet still in the yard, we have met a couple out, but that’s all.

Up at Newcastle Road lock as well as the boat going up we had to wait for another to come down, the same at Limekiln Lock. By the time we got to the Meaford flight there were three ahead. We had to wait for one to come down, they had those long rope fenders on the bow cheeks that are getting popular now which snagged the iron work going in. Once they were in, it took some time it was open a half paddle at a time, going down. This did mean the queue ahead had moved on a bit. At Meaford top lock the bridge has been damaged yet again, I think I have only ever seen it prim and proper once in all the times I have been through, it must cost CRT a fortune, This time its a capping stones gone.

Now we were away for a nice gentle cruise up to Trentham, several of the boats ahead had stopped at Barlaston or Wedgwood and one pulled out just after we passed, he caught us up at Trentham Lock and told us he was mooring at the tunnel tonight, about another 4½ hours. We carried on for about a mile and a quarter past the winding hole to moor for the night, This use to be opposite the meadow, but now its opposite a new housing estate.

Since we have been here the wind has freshened a lot but its still dry..

 

Today’s Journey

6 miles, 9 locks in 4½ hours

Stone

Woke to a lovely morning and set off just before 9-30 and it happened again, just got the front rope off and a boat comes along, thankfully he moored up just a little further along so we weren't sitting on his tail all day. Before we set off I took this shot of Shugborough Hall with its new lake, I wonder what it was like at the worst of the floods?

Gt Hayward is hosting an Easter floating market and the first boat was moored at Iron Bridge and then

they were continuous up to Gt Hayward Junction. Diana jumped ship to visit the Cheese Boat joining me again at the lock. She left me again once through the lock to buy cakes, but they weren’t open that early and I picked her up again at the junction. We met lots of boats but all the locks were still against us. Just below Hoo Mill Lock I noticed this new bridge crossing the Trent and a new access  roadway which came close to the canal further up, first thoughts was HS2 but its too far north.
Its good to see that the Asbo Swan at Weston is alive and well, Diana isn’t kicking but letting himbite her boot rather than her ankle, he means business. He chased us to the bridge. There is a video of him here I shot in 2016. Trip Report 2016.
This must be my favourite bridge on the whole system, I just love all the brick arches.

At Sandon Lock we caught up with the boat ahead, he in turn had caught up with the one ahead of him, its the first queue for a lock we have been in. There was a tremendous amount of water coming out through the bywash so hopefully we will have no problem with levels.

As we approached Aston Lock I could see three of them queued waiting but we turned into Aston Marina to fill with diesel at a reasonable £1-04 domestic. At the moment I burn 10 to 11 Lts per day heating, cooking and the engine. The marina has two access points from the canal so they have a one way system, in at the North end and out at the South so we did a complete loop.

When we got back on the canal the three boats had gone up but there were two moor now waiting. As we left the lock I saw these stop planks that someone has added to.

As we approached the Stone moorings there was a boat half adrift across the cut, as I pulled in to retrieve it some passes dragged it back to the bank, turned out two of them were boaters moored on the visitor moorings. We pulled into the first vacant spot expecting Stone to be packed out, but when Diana walked into town she reported loads of room above Star Lock and also between the water point and the winding hole. Trouble is, if you go up Star Lock and there is no room its a long way before you can moor anywhere.

Today’s Journey

10½ miles, 5 locks in5½ hours.

Little Haywood

e away by 9-30 but even so about 6 boats had been by. As we untied to pull away the last one was on its way from the lock so I waited until it was passed and then followed it to Kings Bromley marina where they pulled in and gave us an open road. We only met a few more boats but passed a lot of moored ones. A clean run through Armitage Tunnel and no CRT, I didn’t have my headlight on or send anyone ahead. Its good to see the old chap keeping a good light at the far end, for a time he moved further down the moorings , but its good to see him back.

As we approached the waterpoint just before The Ash Tree Pub, the narrowboat Jamima D was just leaving which was very handy as we have filled up this trip yet. The next stop was Rugeley with lots of spaces to pull in for a quick visit to Tesco and as we were tide up we also had lunch. You can’t pass through Rugeley without a photo of Naomi's Landing with the team in their summer wear.

 

  There were more boats moored just over the aqueduct than we have seen before. As we passed Worsley Bridge it started raining, the App that was so right yesterday said we wouldn’t get any rain today. A short way before Colwich lock we caught up with a day boat, steering wasn’t their strong point, When they finally got to the lock landing I pulled in behind and Diana went up to the lock where the boat ahead was just leaving, she then turned the lock and kindly worked the day boat up, they had found the windlass by now but it was probably quicker her telling them to both stay on the boat. I worked up to the lock to see if any boats were waiting to come down, and the lock is certainly living up to its nickname cow sh*t Lock.

I went back down to bring Harnser against the bottom gates but Diana waved me back and worked a single hander down, as she had worked the day boat through he assumed she was a volunteer working the lock for boaters. By  now the rain had stopped and there was a double rainbow over the cottages across the field, the second ring is quite faint.

Now it was my turn up the lock and no one coming the other way to leave the gates for. We pushed on to where the railway line goes into the cutting and moored for the night. Looking over to Shugborough Hall the river bank have disappeared the there are several acers of water where the grass should be.

Today’s Journey

11 miles, 1 lock in 5 hours