Caldon Cruise: Day 5

The water level in Cheddleton was a little better this morning, but still not back to normal.  I had an appointment to do a podcast interview at the Flint Mill, so while I did that Adrian walked up to get some milk from the One Stop in the village.  It turned out Easter eggs were now reduced.  It was also raining, and as we are meeting family tomorrow we set off; it was about 1030.  It was very slow going because of the lack of water — in the bridge holes we came to a virtual stop, and at one I thought I might be better getting off and pushing.  When we got to Hazlehurst Aqueduct, there was an ABC hire boat going over it as we went underneath.  At the locks, a Black Prince boat was going up ahead, but then the ABC boat was coming down, so we swapped in the first pound.

The top lock is very attractive.  In fact the whole area of the locks and junction is pretty, even in the rain.

I did a lovely turn onto the Leek Branch, which involved doubling back on yourself, but the ninety degree turn onto the aqueduct wasn’t so good.  We were now going over the main line we’d just come along.

The Leek Branch is lovely, with bluebell woods on the offside and occasional glimpses along the valley.  As it was still wet, I decided I’d leave photos until the return journey in a couple of days time.  Towards the end of the branch, the canal opens up into a big pool, with the tiny Leek Tunnel off in one corner.

Inside, the tunnel has a re-lined section, so in that sense (and in that sense alone!) it’s a bit like Blisworth.

There’s only about half a mile of canal after the tunnel, and the Black Prince boat was turning at the final full length winding hole.  We came through the bridge and turned into the winding hole so they could go back through; then we completed our turn and reversed back to the moorings.  The first space was the only one big enough, but again it turned out that depth was an issue in places.  We had lunch and lit the fire, and then in mid-afternoon the sun surprisingly came out.  We headed out to the end of the canal where the feeder comes in, and then walked through to industrial estate to locate Morrisons and the rest of town.

4 miles, 3 locks.  (26 miles, 25 locks)

Caldon Cruise: Day 4

We were booked on the steam train at 1030 from Froghall Station, so we had no reason to rush this morning.  We had plenty of time to get the clippers out so Adrian could give me a hair cut, and I went to pick some more wild garlic, as there’s masses of it a little way down the canal.  Then we walked down to the station where our train was waiting.

We had booked the Breakfast service, as it’s only £8.50 more than the standard ticket.  It’s very nicely done, with the dining cars at the back of the train.  You’re welcomed by staff on the platform and shown to your seat.  Once under way, tea and coffee is served, and breakfast arrives.  We’d booked the Old English, which comes with a Staffordshire oatcake.

And excellent it was too.  We were impressed by the quality of the ingredients, and the service is very friendly.  The train trundles along quite slowly, and it went further than when we did the trip in 2017, going all the way to Ipstones, where the engine changes ends for the return journey.

The whole trip took more than two hours.  We’ve done quite a few heritage railway journeys in our time, and we reckon this is probably the top one.  On the way back, after Consall station where the railway and canal are close together, we passed a couple of boats.

Back at the boat, we set off at about 1.15.  Some of the sections on this part of the canal are very narrow.

Just through Cherry Eye Bridge we met the trip boat returning to Froghall.

We passed Consall Station for the third time of the day.  The trains there are described as awaiting restoration, which is a polite way of describing the state they’re in.

The Black Lion pub was very busy with people in the garden.  We stopped at Consall Forge on the water point, where the tap has the most amazing pressure.  We started the washing machine, and it hadn’t even finished the wash part of the cycle before the tank was full.  We carried on up the river section and then back onto the canal.  At Wood’s Lock there were two boats ahead of us, but one stopped to meet someone before the two Cheddleton Locks.  There we swapped with a boat coming down the top one.  At the top, the level of the pound was very low, which seemed odd because it’s a long pound, all the way to Hazlehurst locks.  It took ages to find a place where we could kind of get into the side to moor.  Later, some CRT people walked past, and told us the level was currently 6.5 inches down, which is an inch better than it was earlier.  She said by 8am tomorrow, things should be a lot better.

5 miles, 5 locks.  (22 miles, 22 locks)

Caldon Cruise: Day 3

All the other boats moored at Cheddleton last night seemed to be from the same boat club, possibly out on an Easter cruise — so we thought we’d better get moving in good time this morning, in case they were all going the same way!  We were off at 8.15, with Adrian bringing the boat while I walked ahead and set the two locks.

A couple of locks later, at Oakmeadow Lock, the canal joins the River Churnet.  The gauge was well into the green, meaning the levels were normal.  This section is lovely, passing through woodlands.

The river section ends at Consall Forge, where the river goes over a weir and the canal turns under a bridge and then goes under the railway and makes a sharp turn.  Next is Consall station, with the platform and waiting room are cantilevered out over the canal.

At Flint Mill Lock there’s an indicator of whether you can fit through Froghall Tunnel.  It’s pretty clear that we’re a bit too tall, or maybe a bit too wide at handrail height.

One of the bridges on the next section has a distinctive pointed arch, and red stone.  It’s called Cherry Eye Bridge, apparently recalling the bloodshot eyes of the ironstone workers round here.

We negotiated all the narrow sections up to Froghall, then turned at the winding hole and reversed to moor up.  There was only one other boat here.  There’s another gauge on this end of the tunnel.

We knew the Churnet Valley Railway was running trains today, in fact we’d seen one earlier, so we walked down to the station and waited on the road bridge for the train to return.

From the other side of the bridge you can see the station, and we waited while the loco changed ends, by coming down the other track and backing up to the carriages.  Today it was a diesel Class 33 called Sophie, which was built in the early 1960s, worked in the southern region, retired in 1992, and has been up here pretty much ever since.

Our walk then took us round to Froghall Basin, where the Willow Cruises trip boat, Lurcher, was in the first lock of the Uttoxeter Canal boarding passengers for a fish and chip lunchtime cruise.

The boat was due to set off at 12, and I was keen to see how he got round the tight bend before the tunnel, and then how much room there was in the tunnel.  It was very tricky going round the corner, but once in the tunnel, the view confirmed my suspicion that it’s not so much the height of a boat as the profile.  The tunnel definitely bulges inwards at handrail height.  This boat was built specially to fit through.

We had a very tasty lunch at Hetty’s Tea Shop, which was busy with customers.  We had a turkey, cranberry and stuffing cobb, which came with a Yorkshire pudding, inside the cobb!  It was just about warm enough to sit outside.

Tomorrow, we’re booked on a train ride.

5 miles, 5 locks.  (17 miles, 17 locks)

Caldon Cruise: Day 2

We enjoyed our lovely quiet mooring above Engine Lock.  This morning we set off at 9am, with Adrian bringing the boat while I walked up to the first bridge, an electrically operated lift bridge.

I carried on walking to the next lift bridge, which still needs to be wound up and down with a windlass, and then onto the Stockton Brook Locks.  The bottom lock was full and needed emptying.  All the locks on this canal seem to be in quite a poor condition, and clearly have big voids behind the walls, with the water then leaking back into the lock.  Some also have flows of water down the towpath when they’re full.

There was a tremendous flow down the bywash from the bottom lock, which made getting into the lock a bit tricky.

A boat then came down the second lock, but by the time I got there it had half filled again.  Above it is a bridge carrying a disused railway line, which still had all its track in place.

The pound above the third lock was very short of water — probably 18 inches down.  I went and emptied the lock above, and ran some water down.

The old stables next to the top lock is a house, and has been very nicely extended.

Before Enron Basin is the obstruction in the middle of the canal, which used to carry a swing bridge.  Then there’s the basin itself, with the canal going off to the right.

We stopped at the services at Park Lane, doing water, washing, and rubbish.  As we filled up only a couple of days ago, it didn’t take very long.  A little further along we reached Hazelhurst Junction; the Leek Arm goes off to the right, but we were going down the locks.

As we went into the top lock, a big floating island of reeds came in with us, and it was so big it actually stopped the boat.  I had to reverse out, so Adrian could tackle it with the boat hook.

A boat was going down in front of us, so all three locks needed turning.  At the bottom, the canal goes underneath the Leek Arm Aqueduct.

We carried on and moored before the Cheddleton Flint Mill, and had lunch.  It was trying to rain but looked as if it would be worse later, so we decided to go for a walk.  At the Mill, the buildings were all open and the water wheels were running, even though it wasn’t one of their open days.

We met a volunteer who told us he’d opened up for a special group, but didn’t mind us having a look.  As he was just shutting everything down, when Adrian asked hi how he stopped the wheel, he offered the chance for him to do it.  Upstairs, there was a big handle which shut off the sluice to the wheel, and everything gently stopped.

We walked up the road towards the village of Cheddleton, most of which is on a major road.  But up a side road is the old part of the village and the very imposing church.  It has some Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows, one installed by the William Morris company, and this one designed by Edward Burne-Jones.

The rain was coming down now, so we retreated back to the boat to do various odd jobs, including consideration of pension options.  

6 miles, 8 locks.  (12 miles, 12 locks)

Caldon Cruise: Day 1

A bright sunny morning, and we were ready to leave our moorings outside the pub at Festival Park at 8.30.  Now we’re not on a schedule, we are planning much shorter days than when we always needed to get back somewhere — but the habit of setting off fairly early might be hard to break!  Just a little further south, we turned onto the Caldon Canal at Etruria Junction.

The last time we cruised the Caldon was in September 2017; the time before that was on our share boat, Debdale, in 2009.  We joked that we do the Caldon every eight years whether we need to or not!  The difference will be that on both previous occasions we spent only around 72 hours on it, whereas now we’ll have much more time to explore.

The first major obstacle are the Bedford Street Locks, a staircase pair.  But they were already set with the bottom lock empty and the top lock full, so we could go straight up.

The sun was in our eyes as we went through Hanley Park, with its elaborate bridges.

The housing which was new the last time we were here now looks a bit more established, but still a bit incongruous with the preserved bottle kilns.

Just before the lift bridge, there’s a massive factory or warehouse with its roof covered in solar panels.  A bit of land between it and the canal is now also having a solar farm installed.

At the bridge, Adrian took the key of power and pressed the buttons.  No cars were stopped, although one did have to slow down a bit to allow the barriers to go back up.

Many of the bridges on this canal are on very sharp bends.  The piling before Bridge 13 has clearly been hit many times in quite a significant way, and at 14 I could see through the trees on the corner than a boat was coming the other way, seemingly at some speed.  I sounded my horn to let him know I was there, and he diverted, bumping the bridge with his bow fender.  It meant there was room for me to go through.  There are more sharp bends before Milton too.  One of the houses there was flying a Happy Easter flag.

When we got to Engine Lock, only the second boat we’d seen all day was waiting to go up; there was also one coming down.  Adrian went to help, and then emptied the lock for us.  It’s a deep one, at just over 12ft.

We stopped just off the lock landing above the lock, at before lunchtime.  Last time we came this way and stopped here, we’d started off that morning in Stone!  After lunch, we walked back to Milton, which turns out to have a good range of shops, including a very large and eclectic second hand book shop.

6 miles, 4 locks.