Stone

12 - 14 August

After our few days on the Caldon Canal, we rejoined the Trent and Mersey canal at Etruria Junction and made our way down to Stone, first passing through Stoke on Trent Locks. The canal soon turns rural from Barleston onwards.  

Stone Town Centre moorings

There are lots of moorings in Stone, some as you enter before the Stone locks which are very handy for the train station, the town centre moorings just above lock 28 (if you are lucky as these are busy) and then some just after the water point outside Marks and Spencers Food Hall and Café.  All are handy to walk into the town, which has plenty of restaurant's, shops, banks and pubs and charity shops.

The Poste of Stone 

There is also a large park are for dog walking etc on the towpath side of the moorings.  We enjoyed our stay in Stone and had a yummy  'full English' breakfast at the Wetherspoons pub, 'The Poste of Stone'  which used to be the Main Post office building.

Steam trains, Pigs and Donner Kebabs!!

Mooring at Consall Forge on our return journey there is a really good view of the Churnet Valley steam train (and can hear the chug chug of the engine and the toot toot)!!!!   


Churnet Railway Steam train

We stayed around Cheddleton for a few days meeting up with friends Martin and Andrea who stayed at the Glencote Caravan Park. (5 stars very posh!)  We were really grateful as they took us to the Morrisons at Leek to stock up as there are not many grocery shopping opportunities on the Caldon Canal and we enjoyed some really good walks, a lovely BBQ and a MEGA donner kebab from  'The Avenue' fish and chip shop in the town (not for the faint hearted).


The Avenue Mixed Donner Kebab - delicious

Just by the Cheddleton Station there are a family of pigs - what are these wondered Nugget ??❤

Cheddleton Pigs

We were really pleased to pass through Hazelhurst locks and complete the Froghall Arm as  CRT are closing this part of the Caldon Canal on Monday 13th due to the continued water shortage.  
   

Bats in the Basin! - Froghall

Friday 3 August

We were up early and went down  Hazlehurst Locks and onto the Froghall Arm of the Caldon Canal.  At Oakmeadowford lock you join the River Churnet and due to the river levels being low at the moment, we were safe to proceed. 

Consall Lime Kilns built around 1810

We moored at the visitors moorings near the water point , next to the Consall Lime Kilns.  Limestone was loaded with layers of coke from above and a fire lit below.  As it burnt  through, quicklime was produced and extracted from the bottom of the kiln.

remnants of quicklime in the kiln

This was then mixed with water to produce slaked lime which was then used to make mortar and plaster for the building trade and by farmers to make the soil less acidic.

Over the pedestrian bridge (not accessible by road) and over the steam railtrack is the Black Lion pub, where snacks and meals are available. 

Black Lion Pub

The Churnet Valley railway train track runs alongside the canal and during the season a steam train  passes through the picturesque railway stations/ticket offices.  

Saturday 4 August

We set off on our quest to go through Froghall tunnel and reach the end of the Froghall branch and moor in the basin.  The tunnel is only accessible by boats with maximum dimensions of 4ft 4' high and 5ft 6'wide at the cabin top. 

Measuring at Flint Mill Lock

We were not sure if we would be able to go through, however at Flint Mill Lock there is a measuring gauge so after JUST scraping through this we were fine to proceed through the tunnel.  You can wind just before the tunnel if you are unable to fit through.  it is an extremely tight squeeze, however we made it through ok with Chris on bended knees at the tiller!!!

Entering Froghall tunnel on our knees

The Froghall basin is lovely and peaceful, during our stay there was just one other narrowboat - onboard was a lovely new friend for Nugget - Cooper, a cheeky patterdale dog! Remember to stock up at Leek or Milton as there are no shops within easy walking distance, although tea, cakes and snacks and ice-creams are available at 'Hettys' Tea Rooms. 

Froghall Basin

The CRT facilities are great here and the wildlife  is abundant with butterflies, fish, a resident heron and 'BATS'.  During the evening we saw numerous bats skimming the water feeding on the insects, a wonderful sight to see.    

The Froghall Heron

We went on a walk (trek) up to Ipstones for some supplies at the convenience store . We mostly followed the green walk from Froghall Forge park and this also takes you back through Foxt another local village.  There are plenty of walks round here, it is lovely and quiet as there are no main roads in the vicinity and the scenery is wonderful .  

Caldon Canal - Leek Arm

Wednesday 1 August

We had spent Tuesday night moored in the basin at the start of the Caldon Canal where there is a bronze statue of James Brindley, an engineer who surveyed the line of this canal in 1772.  the moorings are next to the CRT facilities and outside the industrial museum and visitor centre  We felt safe here, and enjoyed an indian take away from a local restaurant 'Mirchi'.

Etruria Moorings and James Brindley statue

Through the first locks and under an electric swing bridge we went.  Until you reach the village of Milton, it is built up and run down in places and we would not have felt safe to moor.  Milton is a great village with two supermarkets, a chemist, book shop, florists, Chinese take away and a lovely butchers/bakery where we purchase our lunch of yummy pork pies! Moorings with rings here.


Delicious!

   Mooring up for the evening on the summit pound after climbing the Stockton Brook Locks, we went on an evening walk to the local village  of Stanley enjoying a pint in the Travellers Rest pub and walking back through the fields to the mooring.  

Thursday 2 August

After using the  CRT facilities at Park Lane, we headed on the Leek branch which winds through wonderful countryside and is really picturesque.  The  canal was narrow in places and shallow and as it is fairly busy at the moment due to the closure of some canals, passing other boaters (which you always seem to meet on bends) is good fun!

Leek Tunnel

We went through the Leek Tunnel and made it to the end of the navigable canal, but unfortunately there were no spaces to moor, so we returned back to moor not far from Hazlehurst locks to start our journey on the Froghall Arm tomorrow.

   

Rode Heath to Etruria

Monday 30 July

We completed the last of the flight of locks nicknamed 'Heartbreak Hill'  by boaters.  As we have completed them over 3 days, these haven't been too bad.  The CRT facilities at Red Bull are very good and the pub food at the Red Bull pub is not too bad either. We moored at Hardings Wood, just after lock 42 and a quick walk over the Hardings Wood junction is a large Tesco, ideal for stocking up.


 Tuesday 31 July      

Early morning start, through one lock and then into Harecastle Tunnel.  After a briefing by CRT, we entered the tunnel... towards the middle it does get quite low in places, however after 40 minutes, it was great to emerge into daylight once again. The tunnel is 2,528m long and took 3 years to complete in 1827. 

Westport Lake

  After a short distance you reach Westport Lakewith plenty of mooring spaces.  Had morning coffee there and a walk, Nugget enjoying a run in the park.  The journey carries on through to Stoke on Trent where potteries are many, some are still in existence and working, however there are the old factories along the way and some of the bottle kilns.

Bottle kiln

 We moored for the evening at Etruria where the Caldon canal branches off from the Trent and Mersey and hope to spend a few days exploring the canal. The Junction has all the usual facilities for boaters. We took a short walk to the 'local' - but it's glory days have long gone !!

Harry Ramjams!

Painted rocks and painted ladies

Yesterday we came up 14 locks and as it was cooler, it made things easier.   Walking between the two locks at Rode Heath, Helen spotted a 'Painted Lady' butterfly which kindly posed for her.  Painted lady butterflies migrate from North Africa or mainland Europe in spring and summer.  They cannot survive the British winter.  

Painted Lady - Rode Heath 28 July 2018
 

We moored at Rode Heath for the day and whilst exploring the village (which has a pub and convenience store) somebody (Alicia?) placed a painted rock on the stern which was a nice welcome to the village.   

Painted rock - Rode Heath

Dutton stop lock to wheelock flight

Over the last few days we have left the Bridgewater Canal and joined the Trent and Mersey at Dutton Stop Lock. This Lock is only 6" deep and was originally used to prevent different canal companies pinching water.   The two tunnels (Preston Brook and Saltersford)  were a welcome break from the scorching sun!  On board temperature has reached 33 degrees centigrade with beer supplies running very low! The blackberries are already ripe,  ready for picking - delicious on our morning cereal.


yummy blackberries

Another early morning start (6.30) to beat the heat. What a wonderful time of day! We were the first boat to ascend the 3 locks at Middlewich and unfortunately the middle pound was completely empty.  CRT fed some more water down and soon we were on our way again.  We moored up in Wheelock  Friday evening where there is a general store, pub and a large Pet Superstore! Nugget was in her element and managed to get a few treats.  


Early morning mist

This morning we started to ascend the Wheelock flight of locks, most of the locks are in pairs which make it easier if it busy.

Wheelock paired locks