Caldon Cruise: Day 6

A lovely sunny day, which was just as well as we had plans to meet family.  We set off from the boat at around 9.30 and walked along to the end of the arm.  There’s only enough room for a small boat to turn here; straight ahead is the feeder from Rudyard Lake, and to the right is the aqueduct over the River Churnet which used to take the canal into Leek itself, but which was filled in.

We took the path alongside the feeder, then crossed the A53 and picked up the path again.  It passes through lovely wooded areas, and there are country parks on one side and a golf course on the other.  Occasionally there are little bridges over the feeder.

Then the views open up as you walk along the valley, always with the feeder alongside.

About three quarters of the way there, we took some steps up next to an old railway bridge, onto the bed of the Uttoxeter to Macclesfield line.

Our initial destination was Rudyard Station, the start of the Rudyard Lake Railway, a 10 and a quarter inch gauge line which runs a mile and a half up the side of Rudyard Lake.  My sister, her husband, and one of their daughters arrived (the other is busy revising for GCSE exams which start next week) and we bought tickets for the 11am departure.  The carriages are a bit of a squeeze, and the train trundles alongside the lake, with nice views across.

We had a little stretch of the legs at Hunthouse Wood, the end of the line, where the engine changes end, then returned to Dam station, which is at the end of the lake.

The dam has a massive overspill weir at one side, and the canal feeder starts at the other end, with some control towers above.

We had lunch and an ice cream at the Rudyard Lake visitor centre, and watched some people paddle boarding and others getting their rowing boats ready.  Then we walked along the feeder back to the family’s car near Rudyard Station.

We said our goodbyes, then we continued along the feeder, completing the bit we’d missed on the way up.  When we got to the railway bridge we went up the steps again and followed the route into Leek.

Leek turns out to be a much more substantial town than we’d been expecting, with lots of shopping streets and some nice buildings.  There are also streets of terraced houses, and we liked this corner one.

The war memorial is surely one of the most impressive in the country — it’s certainly one of the tallest, at 90ft.  It was commissioned by a local businessman and his wife to commemorate their son who died at Ypres, and others from the town who died in the First World War, and no also has plaques for those who died in the Second World War.

We may not have done any boating miles today, but we have walked well over 10km.

0 miles, 0 locks.  (26 miles, 25 locks)

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)