Still in Worcester

The Maid of Fibre boat - newly decorated.
(Sorry about the "Toilets Only" sign.)

In the marina last night we say a brightly coloured boat leaving the paint shed. On talking to the owner we found out that they supply shops in the Midlands area with yarns for knitting and crochet. Their plan is to travel the canals encouraging local knitters to visit the boat and examine the company's products. More details can be found on their www.maid0ffibre.com website.

This morning I checked the area on densie where we found the rusty water yesterday. Seemed dry, but noticed a lot of condensation on the sides - perhaps that has been the problem all along, condensation being generated without any way for it to drain away. Doesnt matter much now as we wont be using the 240V input for a while.

With the forecast not looking too good we decided to leave the marina and moor for free on the canal. This done we went for a walk around the city, visiting the cathedral and a few shops.

As it turned out the weather has been reasonable most of the day, so we could have moved on. However, we can do that tomorrow, back on the Severn towards Gloucester. We had checked the status of the river - despite all the rain it is only at the bottom of amber, just above green, so no real concerns there.

Rain stopped play

We are still in Worcester. Denise returned on Monday from her weekend travel to a surprise 50th birthday do in Hampshire. We had planned to leave the marina today but the rain was pouring down so we decided to stay put. The new plan is to leave tomorrow, but the forecast isn't much better.

We had some "interesting" technical problems. Technical problems are often like that on narrowboats with everything being a bit of a compromise as nothing is really designed purely for canal conditions .

The first problem was the shower pump. We need a pump to remove water from our shower tray because it is a foot or two below canal level and so cant drain by gravity. On Saturday I was about to have a desperately needed shower, turned on the pump and nothing happened. First thought was a fuse which proved to be dead, so I replaced it, turned on the pump, and was rewarded by a bright blue flash and another dead fuse.

After discussion and advice from the marina engineers I was able to take the pump to pieces and found that the rotor which normally spins rapidly transferring water from the inlet to the outlet had broken. An arm had come off and was jamming the mechanism. Fortunately this is a well known problem and a replacement rotor was obtained from the marina. After everything was put together again it all worked - hooray, I am now clean.

The next problem is electrical. These are always a pain and are quite common - modern boat electrics are getting complex as they involve both 12V and 240V technology. Densie's electrical system was designed by a Polish electrical engineer and apparently was implemented to their military standards. Also of course electricity and water dont mix well.

The symptom was that during the heavy rain over the weekend the 240V supply repeatedly cut out for a second or two, during the few dry periods everything worked fine. Immediate thought was that this was a problem with the marina supply. However subsequent investigation led us to find an inch of rusty water in the bottom of the apparently sealed area where the external 240V supply is brought into the boat. Not good - rusty water and 240V certainly dont mix.

So, with the help of the marina engineers we are trying to discover where the water, presumably rain, is coming from. They have put some sealing around an inspection hatch - fortunately it is raining again and so we will find out if this fixes the problem.

Down the Severn to Worcester

Telford's 150 foot cast iron Holt Fleet Road Bridge (1828)

Started at 8:20 with perfect weather - sun, blue skies, only a little wind. Down one lock to the main Stourport basin and then two sets of staircase locks to takes us onto the Severn.

River boating is very different to the canals. The locks are much larger - taking two narrowboats with ease, and are manned so no work needed. The depth and width of the river means that we could put really work the engine as we reached a speed of 5.8 mph (as measured by my satnav). OK you may not think that is fast, but it feels fast enough on a narrowboat with the water splashing and the engine roaring.

Entering Worcester

12 miles and 3 locks later we reached Worcester, the cathedral looking very impressive from the river. After stopping for lunch we went up the locks out of the Severn into Diglis Basin on the Birmingham & Worcester Canal. Not as large as Stourport, but still good to see.

We have now moored in Lowesmoor Basin near the centre of Worcester where we have booked a 5 day mooring as Denise is catching a train tomorrow to spend the weekend with friends. Mains electricity is available so there will be no need to run the engine except perhaps for hot water.

As we wont be moving for a few days, the next blog entry will be on Tuesday.

Stourport

Stourport main basin

A Georgian corner

The weather was much improved this morning so we started early on the 4 miles and 3 locks trip to Stourport. Once we left the light industry of Kidderminster we were back into typical Staffs & Worcestershire scenery with the woods, River Stour and red sandstone cliffs.

We moored up in Stourport just after 11 and after a quick shop in Lidl (their fruit & nut muesli is very good and much cheaper than elsewhere) and lunch went for a wander round the town.

Stourport did not exist prior to the building of the canal. Brindley built 4 impressive canal basins here and locks down to the Severn so that goods from the new industries starting up in Birmingham and the Black Country could be transhipped for distribution around the country and abroad. The town was built around these facilities and because of the history has a large number of attractive and interesting Georgian buildings.

Although we enjoyed the canal basins and the Severn riverside, we were disappointed by the town centre. Where we had hoped for interesting restaurants, antique shops, deli's etc we actually found a good range of charity shops, several cheaper household goods shops, a coop supermarket, and at least five butchers. I do feel the town could make more of its assets.

Train to Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth 17thC Town Hall

Arrival at Kidderminster

The morning gave us rain again - as forecast so it didn't upset our plans. First job was a quick visit to Sainsburys, 2 minutes walk down the towpath, to stock up for the next few days. After that we separately went into Kidderminster town centre for a bit of shopping.

After lunch we could have moved on to Stourport but we decided to leave the boat at Sainsburys and to take the hour train ride on the Severn Valley Railway from its main terminus at Kidderminster up the Severn to the attractive old town of Bridgnorth.

The Severn Valley Railway was set up as an enthusiasts line running steam trains, but is now clearly highly professional. We left on time at 2:20 behind a 2-6-2 tank engine and arrived an hour later at Bridgnorth. There is much to see on the journey, amongst the sights is the bridge over the Severn which at 200 foot was the longest single span in the world when it was built in the 1860s. We could have returned after half an hour but decided to spend a while exploring Bridgnorth.

Its a really interesting town with many old buildings, one half at the top of a hill close to the castle and the other by a bridge over the Severn. We walked down to the lower town from the railway station and then took the cliff railway up the cliff to the upper town where we spent a good hour looking at the shops, buying some rare cheeses from a deli and having a coffee.

Unfortunately the Bridgnorth station buffet (bar) was closed when we returned to catch the train back, but we recuperated once we reached Kidderminster where the station bar there is in the Good Beer Guide.

Once back on the boat we cooked our evening meal. Of course I do this most evenings, but I mention the meal to recommend the wine we had with it - Vavasour, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It was absolutely delicious, one of the best white wines I have tasted for a long time.

Morning in Kinver and then to Kidderminster

Densie moored at Kinver

We had decided to spend the morning in Kinver to see the sights. First task was to climb Kinver Edge, a high ridge a mile outside the village. Although most of the walk up was through woodland the top of the ridge is mainly grass. There are glorious 360 degree views stretching to Wolverhampton, Wenlock Edge, The Cotswolds and much in between. It's astonishing to think we were only 15 miles from the centre of Birmingham.

Kinver Rock Houses

On the way down we stopped to see the National Trust restored rock houses. These had been cut into the sandstone cliff in the 1600's and were occupied until the 1960s. Unfortunately the houses themselves were only open Thursday-Sunday so we werent able to see inside.

Then back to the village centre for a coffee and chocolate cake before returning to the boat for lunch, although the chocolate cake had rather dulled our appetite.

Cookley Tunnel

After eating we set off for Kidderminster. This part of the canal can bear comparison with the best on the network. The scenery is superb as the canal winds down the steep sided Stour valley twisting and turning to minimise the amount of rock removal required. Tall trees along the left hand side of the canal overhang the water, and occasional views of the small River Stour are seen through the wildflower covered edges on the right hand tow path side.

Blind corner south of Wolverley

At one point we passed through a lock next to a very crowded pub garden, and fortunately were able to provide a good example to the many onlookers of how locks should be worked, although Denise's efforts at raising the paddles were somewhat hampered by the large icecream in her left hand.

We arrived in Kidderminster at 15:30 and have moored close to the centre alongside a very large Sainsburys which we will visit tomorrow. The weather forecast is not too good for the morning so we will probably wait til after lunch or even the day after before carrying on to Stourport.

Stourton Junction and Kinver

Typical S&W view

The morning started grey but the weather cleared soon after we cast off at 8:30. As the weather improved, so did the scenery. The countyside is noticeably more hilly, the canal following a small stream at the bottom of a deep wooded valley. From time to time the canal passes red standstone rock faces where the builders have had to cut into the hillside.

Stourton Junction looking north - Stourbridge Canal joins on right

Green Alkanet

After a number of locks, we moored for lunch at Stourton Junction, an attractive place where the Stourbridge canal from Birmingham joins the Staffs & Worcestershire. Here, as at many other places along this canal we have seen many wildflowers. Attempts to photograph a selection unfortunately failed except for the rather nice Alkanet.

Dunsley Tunnel

Beyond the junction and another lock we passed through Dunsley Tunnel, all of 75 feet long ( slightly longer than the boat!). Here there is a further view of the sandstone. It must be remembered that the canal was completed in the 1770's when removal of rock meant gunpowder and picks and shovels.

We have moored at Kinver, a pretty village nestling in the wooded hills with a number of interesting sights. As we have time to spare we plan to spend the morning walking up to Kinver Edge, a 500 foot ridge overlooking the village, and exploring the sights - more information tomorrow.

Delayed by Rain

Waiting for Awbridge lock to fill

Passing from the top to middle locks at Bratch

View of Bratch middle lock showing the hexagonal lock keepers office (and Denise's head)

After a very good meal and beers at the Mermaid, Wightwick, part of the Vintage Inns chain, we awoke late to hear the rain pattering on the roof. Looking blearily through the window - yes it was heavy rain. Boating in the rain is not fun, so as we have at least a day in hand to meet our appointment in Worcester on Thursday (more on this in a later posting) we stayed at our mooring until after lunch when the rain stopped.

We were then able to get a good 3 hour cruise in before the rain started again. During this time we travelled the 5.5 miles to Swindon (no not that one, another one) dropping down through 8 locks. We have been going downhill since we passed through the summit pound around Autherley/Aldersley junctions yesterday. Overall in this section of the S&W canal there are 31 locks that drop 294 feet to the Severn at Stourport.

The scenery continues to be a pleasure and the locks interesting. Particular so are those at Bratch where 3 locks are each separated by pounds of about the width of the foot bridges. Clearly there is not enough water in such a space to fill a lock - this little problem is solved by having large side-pounds which are connected to the main canal by underground culverts. There is a permanent lock keeper on duty during the summer as the arrangement can be very confusing to both novice and not so novice boaters.

Deepest rural Wolverhampton

A narrow part of the canal - single track with passing places

Below Wightwick Mill Lock - 2.5 miles from the centre of Wolverhampton

One of the many joys of travelling the canals is the journey into major cities. Often the scenary is remarkably attractive with minimal instrusion from the noise and hustle of the outside world. Todays journey was a perfect example of this as we travelled through the suburbs of Wolverhampton.

Unfortunately Orange seems to have been affected - the best connection I have been able to get this evening is a painfully slow zero-bar GPRS link. Usually, even in the depths of the countryside, we are able to get a 3G connection. Despite today's problem I must admit it's not bad for £5/month.

Back to the journey. We started at 9am. An hour or so later we were delighted to see a familiar boat moored by the towpath - Greenfinch owned by permanent live-aboarders Barry & Tracy who we met a year ago at Wigan on the Leeds & Liverpool canal. After a happy hour over a cup of tea chatting about our adventures during the past year we waved goodbye and set off again.

The canal went through a very narrow single boat-width section with only a couple of passing places. Of course we met a couple of narrowboats going in the opposite direction, it really was a very tight squeeze to get by. It seems that Brindley decided to minimise his costs on this section as it required expensive cutting through hard rock.

Soon after we moored for lunch and a quarter mile walk to the local Morrisons. The logistics of ensuring we always have sufficient groceries can be difficult as we have no transport and must carry all our purchases back to the boat so we take the opportunity to shop at supermarkets close to the canal whenever possible.

After stocking up we moved off again past the major canal junctions at Autherley and Aldersley and have moored in the outskirts of Wightwick, a suburb of Wolverhampton. There is an attractive pub nearby where we plan to eat this evening - my first chance not to cook!

Out into the countryside

Densie on the Staffs & Worcestershire

Gailey Wharf with circular toll-keeper's watch tower

Anyone who believes we live on a crowded island should take a trip along the staffs & worcestershire. After leaving Penkridge at 9am we have travelled through empty farmland along the delightful tree-lined canal. Apart from a section where the canal runs close to the M6 we have seen no road traffic and little sign of habitation other than a few farmhouses.

The S&W, being one of the earliest canals, is a perfect example of a contour canal winding in extravagent curves to minimise the need for cuttings, tunnels or aqueducts. At one point it nearly doubles back on itself. The bends prevent any speeding (ie more than 3mph) which together with the oaks, alders, willows, hawthron laden with blossom and many wild flowers along the bank makes for a very relaxing journey.

As a contrast perhaps I should also mention the large chemical works at Calf Heath, an interesting (to a chemical engineer) rather than scenic spot alongside the canal.

We are seeing quite a few swans, some on nests though with very few cygnets yet, mallards often shepherding groups of up to 10 fluffy balls of duckling and moorhens, again with chicks. What we usually see every few days and have yet to see at all this year are Kingfishers. I understand that they have been very badly hit by the very cold winter.

Penkridge

Tixall Wide

Firstly correct some duff info from yesterday. Alert readers will of course will have noticed that we were previously at Tixall Wide in April this year, rather than last. Boating has that effect - things go by in a blur. Also, my guide book says that Tixall Wide was probably created by the canal company to provide the local landowner living at Tixall House with a good view. Tixall House no longer exists, but from the Wide one can see a magnificent gatehouse, the size of a 3 storey mansion, so the house must have been very grand indeed.

This morning we finished off a spot of painting where the boat gutter had begun to rust and when this had dried we set off south down the Staffs and Worcestershire Canal. Progress was rather slow as the canal is shallow in places, narrow and far from straight. The canal is a fairly early one opened in 1772. It was engineered by the great James Brindley as part of his grand plan to link the Mersey, Trent, the Severn, and the Thames.

After stopping for lunch at Acton Trussell we visited Midland Chandlers just outside Penkridge, where we were able to buy a replacement aerial for the one that was broken in Rugeley. At the cost of a mere £5 we are now back fully operational.

A further mile took us to Penkridge, a small town built around the canal near the M6 north of Wolverhampton. During the afternoon we walked into the town centre where there is a coop, butchers, bakers, several other shops and a number of pubs, one of which I must admit we did visit.

Tixall Wide

Moored at Tixall Wide on the Staffs & Worcester Canal just after Great Heywood where we left the Trent & Mersey. We previously moored here in August last year on our way back from our Pennine trip. Despite its familiarity it remains a favourite spot. The canal has been transformed into an attractive reed edged lake. Whether this is due to mining subsidence, pre-existing marshy land, or a "special favour" for the local landowner, I dont know.

Rewind the clock a bit to yesterday. We were annoyed to find late in the afternoon that our radio aerial had ben snapped. It was certainly OK when we moored up in Rugeley a couple of hours earlier, and I had been on the boat all the time and hadnt noticed anything unusual. A mystery really as there was no sign of the aeral having been bent, just a clean snap. I guess it was a bit of random vandalism, though a beat policeman we met later on the towpath said that the area was safe.

We left Rugeley at 9:30 this morning after a leisurely breakfast and pottered slowly up to the locks at Colwich and Great Heywood. The area was rather busier than I had expected for this time in the season. Our journey was somewhat delayed by four or five canoes full of very young children who were being directed by instructors on the bank. We had to wait until they were safely alongside the bank and had disembarked - 15 ton narrowboats and small canoes dont mix well.

Summer holidays start today!

We are on the move again. This time we will be out for a couple of months during which we plan to cruise down the Severn to Gloucester and beyond, returning via the River Avon to Stratford. After then who knows, depends how much time we have.

Denise has got the packing process well sorted. Clothes for a month and food for 3 days were all packed in a couple of hours first thing this morning. After unpacking and eating lunch at the marina we started up the Trent and Mersey Canal. We are now moored at Rugeley once again.

Nothing much to say about this part of the journey, we have done it many times before. Unusually, Rugeley power station was working with steam blowing out of the cooling towers, but that's not very interesting. The journey was very pleasant however because of the perfect weather - sunny and warm, but not too hot. Being sat in the open at the back of the boat in very hot weather can be uncomfortable, but today there was a cooling breeze.

Nearly Home

Last night we had a excellent meal at the Turkish restaurant in Stone. Highly recommended to any passing boater. The waiter spent some time asking us about the canals - they dont have anything like the English canals in Turkey. Sadly for him he didnt have anything else to do as we had arrived at 7pm to an empty restaurant and no-one else had come in by the time we left at 9.

Today we have been on the move from 9:30 to 15:00 with half an hour for lunch. A very long day for us. We are now moored at Great Heywood Junction where the Staffs & Worcester Canal which connects to the Severn at Stourport meets the Trent & Mersey.

The cruise was enjoyable with sunshine most of the time. To return again to wildlife we saw a soaring buzzard, which in itself is not unusual as we see them most days, carrying something in its claws. On close binocular inspection this something turned out to be a rabbit with its long ears dangling down. This is a first time I have seen a buzzard with its kill (or possibly some carrion it found).

This is the last entry for this trip. We plan to start our next trip in late May - please check the site nearer the time.

Back to Stone and a new Chimney

The weather this morning looked beautiful with blues skies and little wind. There had been a frost overnight but we had prudently set our central heating to come on at 6:30 so the boat was fairly warm when we got up.

A bit more about wildlife, this time on the boat. No, I dont mean rats or the ships cat - I am talking about spiders. After getting up we were very pleased to see a web had been made over the sink during the night and there were 4 little spiders each the size of a pin head running around it. We were able to rescue them before doing the washing up.

For some reason spiders are very common on narrowboats, they are the only creatures we normally see actually on the boat. We dont discourage them as hopefully they will remove any flies - this must be working as we rarely see any.

We left the mooring at 9:00 and travelled south through the 4 Meaford locks and the first two of the Stone locks. The Stone Boatbuilding chandlery was open and they were able to supply a new chimney, a 12 foot boat pole to replace the current one which looks like it would snap next time we had to push the boat off a shoal, and a fresh cylinder of propane for the cooker.

We have moored just past the chandlery as we intend to go into Stone tonight for a Turkish meal - we have been told the restaurant is very good.

Beware low bridges

Densie & Denise in the 12 ft deep Trentham lock

In the evenings after eating we often like to go for a short stroll. Yesterday evening we walked around Westport Lake looking at the birds. Nothing rare of course, but what we did see was a pair of Great Crested Grebe displaying their mating ritual. They floated in the water facing each other. One would bend its neck down, peck its side and then straighten up. Immediately the second bird copied the behaviour exactly. This was repeated several times, and then the male bird dived down and reappeared with a piece of weed which he offered to the female. Sadly she showed little interest and swam off - such is life!

We left the mooring at 8:55 in glorious sunshine, though a rather cold wind. An hour later we stopped outside the Wedgwood/Royal Doulton/Coalport/Waterford Crystal/Minton factory outlet to have a quick look round. Following the collapse of the original Wedgwood company last year all these "brands" are now owned by an investment company. Some of the china and glass is made in the UK but most is imported from all over the world - we saw references to China, Indonesia, Slovakia and Poland, although I believe the designs are still controlled from the UK.

We then travelled on through Stoke stopping for 30 mins for lunch and are now moored near Barlaston outside the Wedgwood factory where production moved from Stoke in the 1930s after the original works was affected by mining subsidence. We were told that the Barlaston site is still working though we cant see any evidence from the boat.

A rather sad chimney

On the way we had a slight mishap. One of the bridges is known for being very low. Unfortunately I didn't remember how low it really was with the result that our chimney was damaged beyond repair. Chimneys like most parts of a narrowboat are readily replaceable so we should be able to buy a new one in the next chandlers we see.

Back to Stoke

The weather looked much better this morning so we set off at 9:00, turned round and headed back home. We were originally going to travel a bit further up the Macclesfield Canal but the wind was strong and cold. Boating in a strong wind is arguably less fun than boating in the rain as the shape of a narrowboat makes it very sensitive to cross-winds. In extreme circumstances they can blow a 15ton boat from one side of the canal to the other with little the driver can do about it.

Luckily things weren't that bad today. Without too much difficulty we reached our previous overnight mooring point at Red Bull Aqueduct in time for lunch and a quick repeat visit to Tesco.

Dredging on the Macclesfield

On our journey we passed a floating digger dredging the canal. This nowadays is an all too rare sight as funding cuts have reduced canal maintenance to the minimum. The driver instructed us to pass by very close to the digger as the sides of the canal were extremely shallow. He told us that at one point the water was only 1 foot deep. He couldn't dredge that area because he had met puddled clay - the original waterproof liner for the canal channel.

After a quick lunch we passed through the Harecastle tunnel, again being allowed to enter almost immediately after arriving. We have moored a mile south of the tunnel at Westport Park Lake, an area created by mining subsidence which has been landscaped and provided with a Staffordshire Naturalists Trust visitor centre.

The Laziest of Days

Lying awake last night we could hear the rain falling on the boat roof. Its a bit like camping in the rain - you know from the noise that it's wet and unpleasant outside but you are dry and warm inside. As the weather wasn't that much better in the morning we decided to stay on the Congleton Embankment for the day.

In the morning I lit the stove and we stayed indoors reading, computing and crafting. The weather improved in the afternoon so we alked down the embankment and around the nature reserve at its base. We were lucky to see a dipper, a bird we have only ever seen once before many years ago in Devon.

Densie on the Congleton Embankment

The picture gives some idea of the size of the embankment which stretches right across this attractive valley. Typical Telford design - a canal that travels in a reasonably straight line across the countryside through the hills in cuttings and across the valleys by embankment unlike earlier canals which minimise the large scale engineering by following the contours of the land where possible.

Along the Macclesfield Canal

Hall Green Lock - 1 foot rise. A stoplock to prevent the two different canal companies stealing each other's water.

A "Snake Bridge" designed to allow the towpath to move from one side of the canal to the other without the need to un-hitch the horses.

As we are taking things unusually easy at the moment we didnt leave our moorings until 10:00. By 11:10 we had reached the moorings near Ramsdell Hall where we had previosuly moored on our way to Manchester last year. At that time we had contemplated walking to the top of Mow Cop, a nearby 1100ft hill but the weather wasnt too good.

Today the weather was pleasant so we decided to make the trek. Only 1.5 miles but a climb of some 650 feet from the canal. From the top allegedly you can see the Welsh Mountains, but today there was a bit of a haze. The best we could manage was a good view of Jodrell Bank, its white dishes contrasting with the green fields around.

View from our mooring on the Congleton Embankment

After returning to the boat for lunch we continued up the canal stopping for the night in the middle of Congleton Embankment where we have a spectacular view of the (unnamed on the OS map) valley from both sides of the boat.

Through Harecastle Tunnel

Site of Shelton Steel Works

Old Pottery at Middleport

Having completed the Caldon, we could get back home in 4 days, but we dont need to until Sunday next week. So having a few days spare we have decided to continue travelling north and spend 2-3 days on the Macclesfield canal, one we did last year and enjoyed.

We left Etruria at 9:40 after filling our tank with water. The canal passes through the old industrial area to the north of Stoke past the vast cleared area that was Shelton Steel Works and further on past the old potteries with their iconic bottle ovens of Newport, Middleport and Longport.

We then reached Harecastle tunnel, at 3000 yards one of the longest on the whole canal system. This magnificent tunnel was constructed by Thomas Telford in 1827 in only 3 years. It supplemented the original one built by Brindley in 1777 which became a major bottleneck as its absence of a towpath meant that boats had to be propelled through the tunnel by leggers - men who lay on the cabin roof and "walked" along the tunnel side.

Telford's tunnel is straight so that one can see the pinprick of light signifying the north end of the tunnel from the other end which is very useful as it assists the boat driver in steering a straight course. The tunnel has no lighting, the only illumination being the single spotlight on the front of the boat.

The original towpath has been removed to provide more space, but the tunnel is still too narrow to allow two vessels to pass. British Waterways therefore manage the alternate passage of convoys of boats. We were lucky as we only had to wait for the compulsory safety briefing before starting our passage. As can be imagined it could present a problem if a boat broke down a mile into the tunnel in complete darkness, without a well defined procedure.

After passing through the tunnel in 30mins we turned off the Trent & Mersey at Kidsgrove and moored on an embankment at the start of the Macclesfield. This is about half a mile to a Tescos where we have stocked up with groceries for the next 4 days.

Back at Etruria

Awkward obstruction in canal

Objet d'art by the side of a lock

Denise operating lift bridge

First ducklings of the year

A longish trip today - returning from the Leek Branch through the outskirts of Stoke on Trent to the good moorings at Etruria outside the Industrial Museum. Total distance 10 miles with 9 locks, 3 lift bridges and a journey time of 5.5 hours.

We found that one of the locks has been fitted with ant-vandal locks since we passed through a week ago. We had heard from other boaters that the dear little local kids have taken to openning the lock paddles overnight and draining the canal. We have met the anti vandal locks in other less salubrious parts of the canal system but they are an unwelcome innovation to the Stoke area.

Pumpout & explore the Leek Arm

On the Leek Branch

Leek Tunnel - Currently Closed

View of the Churnet from our mooring

A busy day to day - 10 miles and 3 locks.

We left Cheddleton at 9:30 in glorious weather and travelled via the 3 Hazelhurst locks, Hazelhurst Junction with the Leek Branch and on to Endon where we turned around and retraced part of our journey.

The reason for this apparently odd behaviour was that our "black water" holding tank is getting full and we needed a pumpout. The pumpout connection is on the side of the boat and so we needed to be facing the correct way to make attachment of the shore pump hose easy. So the boat needed to be turned, and it is too long to turn except at an approved "winding holes", the first one being at Endon.

We then retraced our journey up the canal intending to turn round again back to Stoke. However since we have some spare time and now with no urgent demands (eg shopping or pumpout) to return to civilisation we decided to go up the Leek Branch.

This is a beautiful stretch of canal that wanders along the side of a wooded valley towards the outskirts of Leek. It no longer reaches Leek as the canal line has been obliterated by an industrial estate, and so stops nowhere in particular. However we cant even get that far at the moment because of engineering work following a major leak (with an "a").

After reaching the practical end of the Branch we turned and have moored next to an aqueduct where the Leek Branch goes over the Caldon Canal, directly overlooking the Holly Bush Inn where we moored a few days ago. There are splendid views up and down the Churnet valley and I am hoping for an impressive sunset because of the dust from the Iceland volcano.

Cheddleton & Leek

Densie near Consall Forge

Apologies for the lack of Blog yesterday - for the first time for ages we were so remote that there was no mobile signal at all. Now we do have some connection but its GPRS rather than 3G and is a little slow.

Anyway yesterday we made the short (2 mile 1 lock in 1.5 hour) jouney back to Consall Forge where the wonderful Black Lion pub is located. We are running short of groceries, there are no shops within any walking distance from the canal, so we decided to eat out. An large hot meat bap at lunch time (with a beer or two) was followed by a walk round the local RSPB nature reserve in the sfternoon and a larger stuff and chips meal (and another beer) in the evening.

Today, another short journey to Cheddleton Flint Mill. This is a 18thC water mill used to grind flint to produce very pure silica for the production of fine porcelain. Before touring the mill we had spent most of the day in the nearby town of Leek, there being a convenient bus stop close to our mooring. It was market day in the town so we were able to buy fresh fish, home made meat pie and veg, which will keep us alive for the next 3 days. Leek is worth a visist - the town is notable for having few national multiple stores and a wide range of small local shops.

The End of the Caldon

Consall Forge Railway station overhanging the canal (a little narrow here!)

Beauty - typical Caldon scenery

And the Beast - Thomas Bolton's Copper Works at Froghall

This is our 100th post!

We set off from the Holly Bush at 9:30 and continued down the Caldon. The scenary steadily improved as we got further into the Peak District as the Churnet Valley got narrower. The canal started at about halfway up the steep side of the valley and travelling down the valley dropped through 4 locks to meet the river where both waterways shared the same course for about a mile. During much of this journey the canal was remote from any sign of the modern world. There are no roads in the area, the only intrusion being the railway now managed by a preservation society who run steam train trips at weekends.

We stopped for lunch at the end of the river section at Consall Forge. This is a delightful wooded spot with the remains of old lime kilns and a pub, the Black Lion, which is unusual in having no public road access, its customers being mainly boaters,walkers. and steam train travellers.

After leaving Consall Forge we travelled on through the particularly narrow and shallow canal to finish at Froghall where in former times canal boats were loaded with limestone from the quarries in the hills. We were hoping to travel the quarter mile to the end of the canal but unfortunately Densie is slightly too high to pass safely through the short and exceptionally low final tunnel.

As a contrast to the wonderful scenery we have seen in the past two days, Froghall is dominated by a historically important large copper works which now appears fairly derelict. Wkipedia tells me that this is where the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable was manufactured.

Densie goes over the top

Stocton Brook Top Lock - Highest point on the Caldon

Continuing on the Caldon we have climbed over the watershed between the Trent valley where the streams flow west and the Churnet valley which flows eastward. The summit pound is at a height of 484 feet above sea level. Beyond the summit we dropped through the Hazelhurst locks and moored outside a large popular pub - the Hollybush.

After mooring we spent a pleasant hour or so walking around the Deep Hayes Country Park where Victorian water engineering designed to provide water for the Potteries has been abandoned and the lakes and cascades are returning to nature.

After the walk he had little choice but to check out the Hollybush. The pint of Caledonian Brerwery beer was excellent, but the menu was of the chicken & chips variety so we will be eating on the boat tonight.

Although we are moored well out into the hills I was pleasantly surprised to find that we continued to get a good internet connection. We use an Orange dongle attachment for our laptop that connects into the 3G mobile phone network. The cost of £5 per month for a 1G max download is very reasonable - perhaps the time will come when it is cheaper to use mobile technology for one's home broadband and dispense with fixed lines completely.

Out of Stoke

Waiting to enter the second lock in the staircase

Two isolated bottle ovens - all the other pottery buildings have been demolished

A first stop after leaving Etruria was near Hanley. This trip on only just over a mile included a staircase lock, where the top gate of one lock forms the bottom gate of the next, a normal lock and a electrically operated lift bridge. These lift bridges are always enjoyable as they enable us to stop the traffic which has to wait whilst the boat passes through.

We walked into the centre of Hanley, which is regarded as the shopping centre for the whole of Stoke on Trent. We found it rather disappointing with one large mall surrounded by a few small streets. After returning to the boat for lunch we continued up the canal passing through the outskirts of, and finally leaving, Stoke on Trent.

The view of Stoke we get from the canal suggests it to be an unlovely place seriously blighted by old run-down industry. However there are signs of regeneration with modern and attractive housing estates replacing the industry. At several places we saw such an estate on one side of the canal directly facing a view of complete dereliction on the other.

Beyond Stoke, travel is slow because the canal is shallow, narrow, and winding. Fortunately there are few other boats on the move and so we had no problems with the sharp bends.

We moored at 15:00 out in the country with views across the Trent valley to the hills beyond.

Stoke on Trent - Etruria

Densie entering Stoke Top Lock

There being little to see between Stone and Stoke on Trent we decided to cruise the 9 miles and 14 locks in one non-stop run. Leaving Stone at 9:00 we were lucky to find that all the locks out of the town and been set in our favour by a boat coming down. This luck continued up to the final lock at the old industrial site of Etruria in the centre of Stoke where Wedgewood set up his first factory.

We had lunch on the move and arrived at Etruria at 15:00 where we have moored outside the Industrial Museum at the start of the Caldon Canal which will take us into the Peak District.

Into Stone

Salt Bridge

We moored at Stone at lunch time after a 3.5 hour, 8 mile & 3 lock cruise in cool but beautiful weather. The Trent valley countryside is attractive with fields mainly pasture but with few animals, and a number of old houses visible through the trees. The picture shows Salt Bridge. This unusually ornate bridge was probably built in this style to please a local landowner. Parliamentary approval to build a canal was required in the form of a specific authorising Act. If an affected landowner was dissatisfied with the proposal he could possibly impede its passage.

Our main purpose for stopping at Stone was to visit the local Morrisons. Keeping the larder and fridge full requires some planning on the canals where frequently you only pass near small villages for days at a time. As we have no transport other than the boat, for bulk shopping it is essential to find a supermarket within easy walking distance of moorings.

Stone is an attractive and lively town with a surprisingly varied range of restaurants including Turkish, Mexican, Italian, Thai and Indian as well as several pubs.

Denise has taken the opportunity to get her hair cut - another chore that is sometimes difficult to arrange as we are unable to book in advance, not knowing where we will be when.

This evening we are hoping to visit a (partially) 14th Century pub overlooking the canal, the first time eating/drinking out since we left home on Monday.

A short day

We had arranged with Dot & Derek to walk together the half mile to the nearby Great Haywood farm shop in the morning. This is a good place to buy fresh local bread, free range meat and eggs, fresh veg etc. When we got back it was time for coffee and a chat.

We left the mooring at Tixall Wide at 11:30 and carried on north, stopping at Great Haywood Junction to fill up with domestic water. We need to do this every 2-3 days, water points (taps) are provided at frequent intervals alongside the canals.

After passing through Hoo Mill lock the rain stated and as we were getting hungry we stopped for lunch. The rain continued after lunch and as it is about 4 hours journey to Stone where we want to spend tomorrow night we decided not to travel any further today. We had only travelled 3 miles and one lock today, but we have plenty of time.

The first job was to light our solid fuel stove to provide some warmth. Unlike yesterday, when the strong wind repeatedly caused the smoke to be blown out of the stove filling the cabin, today's firelighting was easy.

We are now snug and warm sitting in our reclining chairs reading.

Tixall Wide - Meeting old friends

Spring is here! We really enjoyed today's cruise travelling up the Trent valley. The birds are nesting - the picture shows a Swan on her nest bt the side of the canal. Previously we had just seen a moorhen on a nest in a branch just above the water. Blossom is begining to show on the quickthorn. The weather is getting warmer although the wind is still gusty.

We left Rugeley at 11:00 after Denise returned from the shops. We stopped for lunch at the attractive wooded moorings at Wolseley Bridge. In the early afternoon we passed through the first lock at Colwich.

Waiting at Colwich Lock

The picture shows Densie waiting for a working boat to leave the lock. Although real commercial traffic on the canals ended in the 1960's there are a number of boats that still ply a trade supplying diesel and coal for narrowboats.

After passing through the canal junction at Great Haywood we have stopped for the night at Tixall Wide. This is a glorious spot where the canal has widened to form a large reed-lined large lake. Among the attractions are a number of great crested grebes diving for fish in the water.

Here we have met up with our boating friends Dot and Derek on Gypsy Rover. They are a couple from New Zealand who have been travelling the canal system,12 months a year for the past 4 years. We originally met them on our trip down the Grand union to London three years ago, and have met up periodically since then as out paths have crossed.

Back on the Water!!!!!

After a long cold, wet winter we have finally been able to start our boating for 2010. We were begining to twitch after 6 months in the house but everything is OK now.

Yesterday, we loaded the boat with clothes and provisions for a 3 week cruise and then returned home. This morning all we needed to do was to clear the fridge into a cool-bag, turn off the central heating, and leave. After a quick trip into Waitrose to pick up a superior ready meal we embarked. Despite a fairly strong wind we were able to leave our mooring and turn the boat without difficulty and then out onto the Trent & Mersey Canal towards Stoke on Trent.

Today was a short trip of only 5 miles lock-free cruising - the main purpose being to recharge the batteries. Normally we like to cruise for at least 3 hours in order to generate sufficient electricity to power the fridge, lights, water pump, radio etc for the night, with some power left over if really necessary.

We have moored in Rugeley, a town dominated by a large powerstation, which our guidebook not unfairly calls unexciting. Sorry if there are any Rugeley inhabitants reading the blog!

Arrive at Shobnall Boatyard

Sorry for the delay in the final blog entry for a week or so - life has been a bit hectic .

We have left Densie at Shobnall Boatyard to be blacked and serviced. We expect it to be ready, bright, shiny, and purring by next weekend.

We left Swarkestone just before 9am and past through the final 12foot deep double lock at Stenson. This was a bit exciting as for the first time on this section of the T&M we were in a lock on our own. So we roped up against the side and opened the paddles, carefully starting with the nearside ones as experience has told us that the water enters the lock at an angle, bounces off the wall on the opposite side to the boat and forces the boat safely against the nearside wall. However... the T&M locks are different. Here the stream of water stays on the same side, gets between the boat and the wall and forces it violently across the lock to hit the other wall with a bang. A BW guy kindly explained it all to us once the lock was full and the boat had settled down.

Arriving at Burton on Trent around lunchtime, we stopped for a quick snack at the very pleasant Shobnall Fields park moorings and then checked that the boatyard could accept Densie for next week. Bad luck! No room, so we had to leave her on the towpath just outside the boatyard, to be picked up today.

We had left my car at Shobnall when we started on this journey 2 weeks ago and so with a quick packing of dirty clothes and perishable food we were ready to restart our land-based existence. Back to... (1) dead broadband connection (2) Broken PC (3) 2 weeks worth of washing etc etc.

We expect to pick Densie up on Friday this week or Tuesday next week and charge down the Trent & Mersey for 1 to 1.5 days to our marina. Then we will need to empty the boat and prepare for the winter - probably no more trips this year. But, if we have a warm week or two in November, who knows.

Next blog entry will cover the trip back to our marina.

Swarkestone again

We are now back where we were Monday last week. We left Sawley at 9:45, along the Trent, back up to the Trent & Mersey canal, through the old canal village of Shardlow, up 3 locks, and moored at Swarkestone at 13:45. This leaves us with a half day's run into Burton to leave the boat at Shobnall boatyard.

During the trip we accompanied and assisted a hireboat (exCanaltime, now hireacanalboat.com) who had started out from Sawley yesterday afternoon, through two of the locks - their first ones. The crew was inexperienced, but the only lock training provided by the hire company was a video. This seems to us rather irresponsible as the locks on this section of the Trent & Mersey are large, and create strong eddies during operation. If you dont know what you are doing you could sink your boat in the lock. I guess most of their hirers dont but even so....