Sat 25th July Etruria to Br 14/15
We walked back
to the Toby carvery for breakfast. We took brollies as it was forecast wet. We
needed them on the way back. Just opposite is the last remaining building of
the original Wedgwood Factory – the Roundhouse.
Roundhouse
Back on board,
we waited for the rain to stop, and then set off up the Caldon. The staircase
locks were in our favour, with the bottom one empty and the top one full. These
locks are either named Etruria Staircase Locks, or Bedford Street Staircase
Locks, depending on where you look.
Farewell to the
Canada Geese.
The next lock, Planet
Lock, was against us. We passed some new housing, which we guess used to be
industrial places before. We came to the Emma Bridgewater factory, which is
anonymous from the canal. Opposite is an old bottle kiln, and a little further
on, a pair of narrower brick kilns, now surrounded by new housing.
Bottle kiln
The Ivy House Lift
Bridge is mechanised – a key is needed to operate it. We had some keen
spectators.
Br 13 is very awkward, as the canal turns a tight curve, and then the last bit is even tighter, which catches people out if they are not ready. Bridge 14 is also difficult as the canal is quite silted up at the edges. We had difficulty turning and had to use the boat pole to get us round.
We found a
pleasant mooring soon after, with a common on the right and a few houses
opposite. We had heavy rain later.
Our mooring on
the Caldon Canal.
3 locks, 3 miles, 1 lift bridge. Dep 1015, arr 1155
Sun 26th July Br 14/15 to Endon
It had been
raining in the night, and there was some lovely foliage outside the window,
deserving to be photographed.
The view from the windows
We stayed where we were for the Broughton Church broadcast on Facebook, followed by a Zoom meeting with Jack and Sandra afterwards.
We set off once more, and found this to be a slow shallow canal with sharp bends. At Milton we made use of new mooring rings before the bridge to pause for some milk from the convenience store, now a One-Stop. It was interesting to note that the staff were not wearing masks, although it is now compulsory for customers.
Engine Lock has
very low geared paddles on the bottom gates, requiring a lot of turns of the
windlass.
Engine Lock
Ragwort in profusion
Norton Green lift bridge needs a key and is mechanised. This was being operated by a boat coming the other way. Long Butts lift bridge needs a windlass and is manual operation.
The five
Stockton Brook Locks are very interesting, with a pumphouse, sculptures, a
disused railway bridge with lines still intact, and an old stable block at the
top lock. All these locks were against us.
Features of Sockton Brook Locks
We found three
workboats moored up, with only the final ends of the chain of boats tied, so
that the whole rig floated out to bang into the side of any boat who passed. We
slowed right down, but still were in collision, and pushed into the edge
opposite. A training course in mooring needed, I think.
Mooring
techniques
Island in the channel at Endon, opposite an old wharf with tram lines.
We arrived at Endon, where we had planned to moor.
John Wilkinson on Water Lily remembered us from 2007. After checking our log books, we found that we had shared a table at the Navigation Inn at Kingswood Junction in May, and then met again at Sowerby Bridge in July after James had had his accident. We met yet again in August that year at Normanton-on-Soar for the Soar Boat Club festival. Amazing that he remembered us straight away after thirteen years.
Moored at Endon
6 locks, 4 miles, 2 lift bridges. Dep 1225, arr Milton 1305. Dep 1345, arr Endon 1550.
Mon 27th July Endon
We sat out a wet day, watching occasional hire boats determinedly pushing past in the pouring rain. We caught up with a few things, but we didn’t leave the boat.
No boating today
Tue 28th July Endon to Cheddleton.
Sunshine
We had a leisurely departure in sunshine, and the first stop was at the facilities at Endon, where we filled what needed filling and emptied what needed emptying. There are two water taps, and when both are being used the pressure is low. When the hire boat in front had finished, the tank filled quite quickly.
While we were there, John and Jill on Water Lily came past, and we managed to get a photo this time.
John and Jill
A mile further
on we came to Hazelhurst Junction, where the Leek branch goes off to the right,
and the Caldon descends through three locks, passing under the Leek branch on
an aqueduct. The bottom lock has been closed for repairs for several weeks, and
was only reopened last Friday. During the repairs, the bridge at the bottom of
the lock flight collapsed as the foundations were washed away.
Hazelhurst Locks
The collapsed
Bridge 37
We arrived at the visitor moorings just before Cheddleton Flint Mill, and we moored on some rings. We couldn’t get properly into the side as there seemed to be an underwater ledge, like the Shroppie. Other boats were OK, so it was just our particular stretch.
We contacted
Babs, and set off up the road towards her place, and she met us halfway. She
treated us to lunch in her apartment, in one of the buildings which previously
formed part of the hospital here. We enjoyed meeting her new arrival, a small
dog called Maggie, not allowed on the ground as she has not yet been
innoculated.
Later we walked back through woods and along a railway track to return to the boat.
Along the
railway track
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.