Thursday (part 2)

Stan did the swing bridges perfectly as John motored through.

Somehow we didn't want the trip to end and so were not pushing our speed as we made our way slowly down to Planet Lock (3 feet), and finally to the staircase at Bedford Street. I have mentioned this lock before this - a huge double staircase lock which lead into each other and, in our case, dropped us 19 feet down to the level of the Trent and Mersey.

At the bottom of the lock we stopped on the middle rope while John opened the weed trap to check the propeller as things were not sounding too good with the engine. John pulled oiut what looked like the remains of a bed sheet, a fabric handbag and a couple of long pieces of plastic. We can only think that we picked them up in the last stretch before the lock. The bed sheet makes a good starting point for a muder mystery!

The Caldon Canal winds round a small park just before the junction with the Trent and Mersey and in this park there is a statue of James Brindley with his surveying gear. I had to hop off the boat and run across the park, take the shot with both my Nikon and my iPad and then get back to the boat before it   left the edge of the park. James would be terribly embarrassed at the state of his head and shoulders which looks like they are a favourite parking spot for the local pidgeons. As I took the photo I thanked James for his incredible legacy - a truly great man

Back on the boat, we joined the Trent and Mersey and arrived back at the Black Prince marina, tied up and the skipper called down to the engine room "Finished with engines". The voyage was done.

We reported in to the manager of the marina and told him that John and I would be sleeping the night on the boat. He was fine with that. We then asked him to take a photo of the "Three Men in a Boat", which he happily did, and I can show that we have made it through the voyage and are well and happy.

We walked into town to sort out cash and also for me to try to sort out Vodafone - without any success, though they did admit that thery needed to make sure their staff understood how to re-charge data on an iPad.

Back down to the marina for Stan to fetch his cases from the boat and then round to Toby's Carvery for a final meal together.

A taxi was called at the end of the meal and Stan set off on his return journey home.

John and I will tidy the boat tomorrow morning, pack our bags and make our way to Crewe for the night, before catching the train to Manchester Airport on Saturday morning.

We have had a great time together and I hope that you have enjoyed the trip with us.

Thanks for following!

Thursday morning

So begins the last full day of our voyage.

Last night we decided to moor above the fifth lock in the Stockton Brook Flight and save the fifth for the morning. John made one of his delicious soups for supper and as we were all beginning to feel the cold, despite the fact that we had turned on the heaters, we all headed for an early bed and read our books before going to sleep.

During the night the clouds cleared from the sky and the temperature plummeted. According to my weather app. the temperature in Stoke on Trent this morning was 2 degrees Celcius! Waking some time in the darkness I found that my feet were freezing despite being under the duvet. I grabbed my seater and wrapped my feet in that, then doubled the duvet over me - it was really freezing.

This morning I discovered that all of us, at some point during the night had been trying to keep warm!

We discovered to our joy this morning that we had great comms, so set about being in touch with home. As we communicated the sun came up -

Having navigated the fifth lock (seen in the picture) in the very chilly wind, we passed two swing bridges - which we allowed Stan to operate (John had opened them on the way out, and Stan really wanted his 'turn'), locked down Engine Lock (the deepest on the Waterways system at 12 feet), where John reported from the helmsman's position at the bottom of the lock that although he was out of the wind, the lock was freezing cold; and then moored at the foot of a beautiful meadow.

A flock of spurwing geese we had met on the canal need a mention - there were so many of them!

We all had a hand in making breakfast together as the heaters were on again and we needed to warm up. We had a great cook up as we are trying to clear the cupboard and fridge - eggs, bacon, tomato, baked beans, toast and coffee. That will keep us going until this evening when we plan to have supper together at the pub alongside the Black Prince marina.

The villages drift past - Norton Green, Milton and Northwood. Soon we will be on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent.

Tuesday revisited (somehow lost the blog and have had to re-write (mutter, mutter)

You may remember that we spent Monday night at Stockton Brook, a village with five locks (41 feet) on the Caldon Canal. We had moored before the locks, so first thing we worked through the locks and then, at the top, I lost John and Stan - they were standing  gazing into the middle distance, for there stretched before them was the Greenway Hall Golf Club. I suggested to them that they should walk over to the club and see if they could borrow some clubs and play 9 holes, which is what they did and had a great deal of fun. The Club was only too willing to charge them a very reasonable fee and lend them clubs, so it was game on.

They were off the boat for just under three hours and for the rest of the afternoon there was much discussion on the fairways, greens and the good and bad points of each hole. I took the opportunity to stay on the boat, try to make Skype contact (failed) and read my book.

On the move again we swung past Endon and stopped at the Park Lane Wharf where we took on water. Leaving the wharf with Stan at the helm and John  in the bows, I pushed off and made my way down the side of the boat towards the stern. My foot slipped out from under me and next moment I was hanging from the rail, that runs the length of the roof, by my fingers, and my legs dangling up to my knees, in the canal. There were shouts from the British Waterways men on the bank and Stan, seeing that I had disappeared called to John, who raced back down the side of the boat, grabbed me by my belt and hauled me up onto the side again.

Funny how things play tricks with your mind - I had this fear that I was going to be crushed between our boat and a British Waterways work boat that was moored ahead of us. In fact I was up on the side of the boat well before we passed the work boat.

So, John has had a 'paddle', I have had a dip, and Stan is still dry!

So we arrived at Hazelhurst Junction which is the meeting place of the Caldon Canal and it's branch, the Leek Branch which is 2 miles long. It leaves the Caldon on the right, travels parallel for a short distance and then turns back over the Caldon to head north east. More of that tomorrow.

At Hazelhurst we dropped down through three locks (25 feet) and travelled east under the Leek Branch  aqueduct on our way to Cheddleton. Here John  and Stan took the boat down through two locks (16 feet), while I went to the Post Office to post postcards to Australia and South Africa. Cheddleton had an industrial past with a flint mill and other industry related to coal and limestone. There were even silk and paper mills here. Now there is a huge factory right next to the canal where steel in all shapes and sizes was being fabricated and galvanised.

Outside Cheddleton is the main yard of the Churnet Valley Railway. There we saw all sorts of rolling stock - wagons, coaches, a kitchen car and a dining car, and a number of the earliest diesel locos. There is a group of entusiasts who are restoring the line and during the summer months their steam locomotive pulls holidaymakers up and down the line.

By now the Caldon is in deep woodland as it makes its way into the Churnet River valley. This is England at its best! And pheasants - we saw them everywhere!. 

At the Oakmeadow Ford Lock the Caldon drops 7 feet and lands in the Churnet River, whose waters took us gently on to Consall Forge. Here the canal takes its leave of the river, as the river runs over a weir, and takes us on to Flint Mill Lock which has the last winding hole for boats of our size. Stan made a masterly turn through 180 degrees and, having travelled the navigable length of Caldon, we made our way back to Consall Forge.

Consall Forge is a village of two or three houses and a pub lying deep in the woods in the Churnet River valley. The peace and quiet were not always like this. At its peak in the 1860s there were over 1000 men working on the limestone mines and lime kilns in this little valley. Pearson tells us that there were 30 boats a day leaving Consall Forge carrying lime and iron ore, which was also mined in the area. One imagines the lime kilns belching clouds of toxic smoke into the atmosphere and dust and dirt everywhere. These pictures catch something of Consall Forge today.

The old lime kilns, Consall Forge - the kilns are built into the side of a hill so that limestone and coal could be shovelled in at the top, the kiln was lit and then, when ready, the lime was shovelled out the doors at the bottom.

The Black Lion pub and the Caldon Canal at Consall Forge

The Churnet River weir, Consall Forge

We moored at Consall Forge and repaired to the Black Lion pub where we had a delicious pub-food supper.

Tonight it is the owls we hear in the woods.

Wednesday, and rain

We left Consall Forge after taking time to walk around and explore, and worked our way back through Oakmeadow Ford Lock,Wood's Lock, and Cheddleton to Hazelhurst Junction, where we made a turn into the Leek Branch.

Caldon Canal on left and Leek Branch on right. (We came up on the left and went down on the right)

The Leek Branch is, if possible, even more beautiful than its parent canal. Full of twists and turns, it was not an easy one to navigate, which explains why narrowboat 'owners' have 45 foot boats and 'renters' have 69 foot boats - because the 'renters' don't know any better!

At this point I want to retract what I said in a previous blog about 'owners'. Since writing that blog we have met some very nice people, friendly and helpful and willing to give advice on local conditions.

At the top end of the Leek we scored a second "end of navigable water" and so, this time John, made a 180 degree turn immediately in front of the Leek Tunnel mouth.

John now warrants a serious "mentioned in dispatches". John took over the helm for the return down the Leek Branch as the clouds rolled in, the sun, which we had been enjoying for most of the morning, disappeared and the rain came down. John, dressed in his full rain gear brought the boat right down the length of the Branch on his own while I re-typed yesterday's blog and Stan cowered behind his Kindle - not quite fair, he did help John when help was needed.

We re-joined the Caldon at Hazelhurst Junction and, as I write, are aiming for Stockton Brook once again where we will moor for the night below All Saints, ready for the run down to Stoke tomorrow. This will be Stan's last night on board, for tomorrow evening he will catch a train for Crewe, spend the night in a hotel there and then travel by train for Manchester Airport early on Friday morning to catch his flight back to San Diego.

Monday - in which we went underground

There are those who would say that one good day in fourteen isn't bad, so we were grateful for yesterday as we woke to grey skies and a chill wind reminding us that autumn/fall is well and truly on us.

Last night we heard the bells of All Saints, Church Lawton as we were readying ourselves for the night, and as we stared out this morning discovered the church just around the corner hiding behind huge trees!

The Red Bull Locks - five of them - were monsters, raising us 54 feet and taking us through the junction of the Trent and Mersey and the Macclesfield Canal. It is quite an engineering feat with the branch to the Macclesfield turning off to the right, back past two of the locks and then itself turning right over the Trent and Mersey. We stopped here and strolled over the bridges, as it was a trip down memory lane for John and myself - we had taken 'The Macc" after starting our Cheshire Ring trip from Middlewich five years ago. Today we were to travel on south down the Trent and Mersey.

John and Stan standinmg on the bridge looking down to the T&M

The village where the Macclesfield branches off is Hardings Wood Junction, which is half a mile short of the portal to the Harecastle Tunnel. We arrived at the portal and were met by the lock-keeper who told us there would be an hour's wait, so we had breakfast while we waited.

The Harecastle Tunnel is described as one of the great waterways adventures, almost a 'rite of passage' one could say, for those who consider themselves narrowboat men/women. The brief histoiry is that the first tunnel, designed by James Brindley, was built in 1777. Because the tunnel is only 14 feet wide, groups of boats could only travel in either a southerly or northerly direction at one time; so the tunnel became a serious bottleneck on the system. Thomas Telford designed a second tunnel which ran parallel to the first - this new tunnel was opened in 1827; these two tunnels were used until the early 1900s until Brindley's tunnel was abandoned due to subsidence. The tunnel used today is Telford's adapted with forced ventialtion which keeps the diesel fumes to a minimum. The tunnel is just under two miles long and takes around 45 minutes to travel through.

The reason for our wait was that a boat had just started out from the southern portal. Once the boat came through and we had received our instructionbs from the lock-keeper, off we set with three boats behind us.

No, the lock-keeper is not singing an aria! The water is orange due to the fact that the underground streams which run in to the tunnel are filled with particles of ironstone.

It was a great experience - not at all claustrophic - and one to be remembered.

The hour from the end oif the tunnel to Stoke through the ruins of the pottery factories and the giant ironworks was a sad one as one could imagine the hive of activity that used to happen in this great industrial  area.

We moored outside the Black Price Marina and walked into town to Morrisons supermarket to buy the provisions we need for the next few days. The walk back to the boat was interesting as one member of the crew was sure of a short cut. It took twice the time to get back to the boat as it had taken to get to the supermarket!

Leaving the marina in the early afternoon we travelled south about half a mile and then turned left onto the Caldon Canal. The plan is to do an "out and back" as far as the Black Lion (pub) in Consall Forge where there is a 70foot 'winding hole' where we can turn and return. We have to be back in Stoke on Thursday afternoon so that Stan can catch an early train back to Manchester Airport for an 11.00am flight.

The Caldon is a beautiful little canal, opened in 1779 to carry limestone down to the Trent and Mersey. Pearson makes the sad observation that the Caldon was the death of James Brindley - he caught pneumonia on a survey trip and did not survive.

Swing bridge on the Caldon Canal

We moored for the evening in woodlands outside the village of Stockton Brook and walked in to the local pub - "The Sportsman", but as they did not offer food, we walked on to to the Cibo Ristorante, where, obviously, we ate Italian!

As I write, we have heard the nightingales singing in the woods next to the canal - what a sound to lull us to sleep!

PS. This one is for Elly - her man dry and smiling - taken up the road from the Ristorante

Sunday evening sitting on the southern side of Church Locks

What a great day this has been!

Had to start the day with a post of the glorious 'son-rise', and the day just got better and better and the sun came through and the clouds disappeared over the horizon.

Now that I have the book in front of me I can tell you that we climbed through 17 locks before lunch. The first three (29 feet) were Booth Lane Locks - all straight forward and soon climbed. We moored up for breakfast, and, that meal over, continued past the village of Ettily Heath, Yeowood Farm and one of the biggest sewerage works we have ever seen. It looked as if much of the works were no longer being used as many of the huge circular beds were overgrown with lush foliage.

I must tell you about the people we meet as we travel along the canal

* The narrowboat owners - these folk hold themselves aloof from us mere "renters" and usually make some comment about the way we are, or are not, doing things. John nearly had his head bitten off by a lady owner when he offered to open a paddle for her. "Get....your...hands...off...that...paddle". When one passes moored boats the owners ALWAYS tell you to slow down with an imperious flapping of their hand up and down. I sometimes feel that we could be going past in reverse and they would still tell us to slow down!

* The fishermen - these fellows sit along the bank of the canal with piles of equipment carefully gathered around their chair and hold very, I mean very, long fishing poles right out across the canal. At the end of the poles they have a microscopic float from which dangles a worm/grub/?. When we approach (very slowly) the sigh is easily heard twenty meters away as they either raise the poles high in the air like some great border post, or shuffle it backwards hand over hand through the hedge to avoid having it being hit by the boat. Today we sailed through a fishing competition. Twent or so fishermen were seated every five metres or so down the bank and, as we passed, each gave us the treatment. Ihappened  to be at the helm at the time and John and Stan were sitting up in the bows. Later John told me that he greeted each one with a cheerful "Good Morning", to which most fishermen replied with a scowl. Except the last man (could he have been a new fisherman who had only recently been tagged on to the end of the competition, and therefore didn't know the rules?) When John  greeted him, he was most talkative and chatted away as we went by!

* The walkers - the walkers are obviously out on the towpath because they want to be there and are enjoying their walk, so when we wave and greet them, they nearly always greet us back, or wave to us. There is, however, one group of walkers, cheerful though they may be, who are not top of our pops. These are the walkers who are taking their dogs for a walk. Up and down the towpaths there are pleas from British Waterways to dog owners to clean up after their dogs, but some don't and they leave a nasty surprise in exactly the spot where a crew member is jumping off his/her boat to walk up to work on a lock. Yuck!

*The other renters - we are a happy lot, us renters. When we meet up at locks we chat together about the routes we are foillowing, the weather, interesting information about the canal ahead and the pubs where we had our last meal. We help each other lock up and lock down and really make the Waterways a very happy place .... if it wasn't for those aweful owners!

* The professionals - every now and again we meet up with someone from British Waterways who give us some really good advice, like "noisy up, quiet down" regarding the use of the ratchet when opening or closing a paddle, and how to fill a lock when locking up to avoid the surge of water that rushes in from the front paddles, races under the boat, hits the back gate, creates a tsunami and hurls the bow of the boat (and the startled helmsman) crashing into the cill. Always curteous and understanding these men are a great attribute to British Waterways. 

And so to the village of Wheelock. Perhaps this photo will help explain the name of the village. Amazing to think how old this village is!

The real work of "Heartbreak Hill" starts here, so after we had filled our water tank and done some shopping at a convenience store in the village, we made a start on the 26 locks that are to be found over the seven miles between Wheelock and Harding's Wood.

The ten locks in the Wheelock Flight raised us just under 80 feet. We were travelling with "Six Men in a Boat" and we helped each other through the locks. This flight of locks was originally built as duplicate locks, meaning there are two locks side-by-side. Sadly over the years some of the locks have fallen into dis-repair and so in places there is only one lock instead of two.

Sorry, its a bit dark as there is a farm bridge immediately before the lock.

The last of the ten locks brings one to Hassall Green and then there is a pair of deep locks called the Pierpoint Locks (raised us 15 feet). Next to these locks we saw the ruins of two old cottages, they looked like they could have been beautiful in their day. Pearson refers to them as 'The Potter's Barn'. We then had a break from locks as we passed Chellshill Farm. This is a huge dairy farm with Friesan cattle in the cropped green fields.

The next locks were Thurlwood Locks which raised us a further 19 feet and brought us to Rode Heath and "The Broughton Arms" where we had lunch. (See previous blog)

Afetr lunch we journeyed on, still on the Trent and Mersey, through Lawton Treble Locks, Hall's Lock and Church Locks - raising us a further 56 feet.

We decided that we had done enough for the day, and, finding a quiet spot on the canal bank moored for the night. While we had a cup of tea and read the Sunday paper the dusk drew in and we were given a most amazing sunset. I end this post with this picture.

The most glorious Sunday

We have been travelling all morning in the most perfect 'Indian Summer' weather. Dressed in t-shirts with the sun shining brightly we have tacked the first half of "Heartbreak Hill". Don't have the book in front of me but we must have come through 12 to 15 locks.

Taken at he Wheelock water point

Arrived at the Broughton Arms just after 3.00 and decided to have a Sunday roast with all the trimmings. Here is John's picture -

Roast beef, a ginormous Yorkshire pudding, baby potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, peas and mashed swedes. Being a pub we had to have a drink - Fosters beer for John and Stan, English Pale Ale for me.   Stan is opting out of the dessert, John is having sticky toffee pudding, I am having Bramley Apple Pie and custard.

More later (after a nap?)

Saturday and the Anderton Boat Lift

Today we made our way north along the Trent and Mersey to Anderton where the focus of our visit was the Boat Lift. Here it is -

The Boat Lift connects the Trent and Mersey Canal (seen in the break in the trees) and the Weaver River (foreground), which connects to the Manchester Ship Canal. It was originally built in 1875 to lower/raise the narrow boats which brought salt from the Middlewich area to ships which then exported it etc. In the days before the lift the salt was poured down shutes from the top into narrowboats at the bottom. Then someone got a bright idea - why not lower the whole load, boat and all?

The Lift you see here was built in 2002 to replace the old lift which had been decommissioned in 1983.

The principle is this - there are two evenly balanced caissons, both filled with water. One is at the top of the lift and the other at the bottom. In the picture the right hand caisson is at the bottom. A boat is driven in at the top and some of the water is let out of the caisson at the bottom, the laws of balance take over and the boat is lowered.

We spent an hour wandering around the site, the shop and the visitors' centre and then made our way back to the boat - which was moored just behind the trees on the right. We were pointing north, that is to the left of the picture, so had to make a 180 degree turn which was done in masterly fashion with Stan at the helm, John on the fore-rope and Rob making the video of the whole operation.

We then headed back to Middlewich and the locks all over again - all in reverse.

Once past the junction with the Middlewich Branch and through the Kings Lock, we tied up right next to the Kings Lock chippie and introduced Stan to the English staple diet of fish and chips served in paper. The little shop was very busy, so the food was being freshly cooked as we waited - it was delicious. Having eaten supper we carried on south in the dusk. What a glorious evening it was with very little cloud, no wind and a beautiful sunset.

We have moored for the night on the south side of Rumps Lock. After last night in the Wild Woods, this is quite noisy with the sound of traffic in the background. We have all had our showers (plenty of hot water) and are heading for bed.

Friday - part 2 - in the rain!

Leaving the Aqueduct Marina we travelled along the Middlewich Branch over the aqueduct over the River Weaver along a stretch of canal which is beautiful in its colours and diversity of lifestock - cattle, horses and sheep. There were few villages that we saw, though one - Clive Green - stands out, nestled away in a little hollow with the cottages gathered round the huge church like a bunch of chicks around a mother hen.

If you think I am waxing lyrical at this point - you should hear what Pearson writes in his Canal Companion to find something to say about this stretch of water.

"The cattle appear not averse to drinking canal water. In a belated attempt to derive much needed extra income, British Waterways recently experimented with fitting individual monitoring devices to cows known by the acronym BUMS, short for Bovine Utilisation Monitoring Systems"

Poor fellow must have bored out of his skull! It's not that bad!

Shortly after Clive Green we arried at the Stanthorne Lock which stands sentinal to the outskirts of Middlewich. By now we were meeting up with more and more boats - travelling both up and down the Branch, so had delays at the locks as we helped others lock up and then ourselves locked down.

We met some lovely people and had great chats with them.

One crew we felt very sad for had come on a week's holiday from Aberdeen. Dad, Mum, 20-something daughter and daughter's boyfriend. I was chatting to Dad and asked if he was enjoying the holiday - "hating it," he said, "all these bl**dy locks"! Looking around, his wife and daughter were, so to speak, in the same boat as Dad, but the young boyfriend was having a ball, jumping in and out the boat, tying up, steering, and everything else designed to make a good impression. Frankly, if you will forgive another pun, he was a bit overboard!

The final lock on the Middlewich Branch is the Wardle Lock and once through it one has to make a tight left turn onto the Trent amd Mersey to head north. By hanging onto the bow and middle ropes, John and I held the boat and Stan brought her round the corner - a really good, professional bit of navigation.

And then into the Middlewich flight of three locks, all close together. 

There was a lot of activity around Lock 3 as the bottom gates were leaking very badly and as a result the pound (the space between locks where boats can pass) between Lock 2 and Lock 3 was so shallow it could not take two boats. This was a problem as there were hire boats coming up from a Marina below the Lock 3 and a number of us coming down. So we were part of a process called filling a pound, where gates are opened to allow the canal to flow freely through the locks. Water came through Lock 1, through Lock 2 and into the pound, filling it and allowing boats to start moving again. John and Stan were up in Lock 1. When they started moving they had to manoevre out of the lock, into a 90 degree left hand turn and stop, wait for the boat coming out of Lock 2, then move into the set lock, wait for Lock 2 to empty into the now filled pound, pass the boat coming out of Lock 3, and enter Lock 3, to be locked down. They did very well. I meantime was helping open and shut gates, gathering information, and learning as much as I could from the professionals on duty at the locks; knowledge which I later imparted to the other members of the crew.

John and I had a moment of 'deja vew' (sorrry about spelling) as we passed the little marina where we had joined the n/b "Ash" for our trip five years ago. After the very professional Andersen Boats Marina at the bottom of Lock 3, our Middlewich Narrowboats looked rather tired and ready to join the other smaller companies in selling out to the 'big boys'. Pearson laments the passing of the smaller family businesses, but that is the way of the corporate world.

We left Middlewich through the aptly named Big Lock - a double sized lock with double gates top and bottom - and headed, once again for the countryside. Evening was drawing in so we moored in a wood called "Bramble Cutting" for the night. We hoped to hear the "hooting of a hunting owl" (as described by Pearson), but didn't. I looked out of the window during the night and immediately thought of Mole on his journey through the Wild Wood to find Badger ('Wind in the Willows').

John cooked us another amazing soup, this time a two bean (canneloni and black-eyed) and ground beef soup. (For South African readers ground beef = mince). We finished supper with toasted crumpets and honey and coffee.

We are well, still talking to each other, and really enjoying the holiday.

Note to Elly - Stan is still dry!

Sorry, I was pretty busy in Middlewich and never got the pix I would have liked to share with you, so no pix for this post.

Friday - its the sun! Well, for about an hour!

After last night's stop in Barbridge, we got going this morning and first up on the gaenda was a right turn off the 'Shroppie' and onto thew Middlewich Branch which joins the Shropshire Union Canal (to give it it's full name) and the Trent and Mersey. The Middlewich Branch is roughly 10 miles long and travels east.

Last night we made the decision, that, as we are well ahead on schedule for completing the Four Counties Ring by next Friday, we will not turn south on the Trent and Mersey (which heads us back in the direction of Stoke), but north up the Trent and Mersey so that we can visit the Anderton Boat Lift. John and I passed this wasy five years ago when we did the Cheshire Ring and we felt that Stan must see it. Depending on time, cost, etc we might even take a ride on the lift and take a quick look at the River Weaver Navigation.

Once on the Middlewich Branch we negotiated the Cholmondeston and Minshull Locks - both very deep locks at 11 feet each - and then pulled in at the Aqueduct Marina for the very mundane task of being "pumped out". I suppose it is one of the most frequently asked questions we have - the answer is that we have sewerage tanks - two in fact, as we have two loos. These have to be pumped out once a week. So we did that.

The Marina boasts a small restaurant "The Galley" which does a special on breakfasts. These specials are served up to 11.00. True to our form we arrived at 11.08! Anyway we had a great breakfast of beans on tast, fried eggs and bacon accompanied by a very good cup of coffee.

While in the Marina the sun shone and it was wonderfully warm for a while as we wandered amongst the boats-for-sale and made knowledgable remarks about tillers, kitchens, etc. As I write the rain has returned and we are all in rain-gear.

Note to Elly - Stan is keeping dry!

Mention must be made at this point that Stan is doing very well as a helmsman and had the helm as we entered the Marina. Piloting a 69ft boat is not easy and we had to maneuver quite a bit to turn the boat. (I will use names this time). John was in the bows and jumped onto the bank to give a good shove off, overstretched and took a 'paddle' up to his calves.

Note to Elly - Stan is keeping dry!

A comment on communications

Sarah made a comment in an sms that the "Three Men in a Boat" are travelling in a fourth world country. It does sometimes feel like that!

All of us are regularly checking our phones (and my case iPad) to see how many 'bars' of connectivity we have. It seems incredible that in a country as advanced as the UK, communicataions are so poor. Even when visiting a pub that advertises "Free Wi-fi" more often than not it does not work.

I suppose that out in the country there is no need for good communications. Also, when one considers that those of us who are travelling the canals are supposed to be on holiday, it makes sense that we are not that important to the communications companies. But it would be good to have a choice!

So, that is why the blogs are delayed

Wednesday supplementary

Sarah has asked in a comment "Why is J always steering?"

There are two answers -

Rob is often taking the photographs, and

Stan is still learning but is catching on very fast

But so that the truth may be told - here is Stan, relaxed, happy and in charge.

This brings me to two big lessons that we have learned on this trip.

For you to understand these lessons, I must first tell you of the workings of a lock.

I think you all understand that a lock is a tank which enables a narrowboatman to raise, or lower, his boat from one level to either a higher or lower level.

When raising the boat through a lock, the crew must first ensure that the lock is empty. To do this they open the paddles on the sluices on the bottom gates and allow the water to flow out. When the water level on the inside of the lock is the same as that on the outside, the lock doors can be opened allowing the helmsman to drive the boat into the lock. The paddles are closed, the doors are closed, and the paddles on the top gate are opened allowing the water to flow into the lock, raising the water level and thus the boat.

When the level on the top side of the lock is the same as that on the inside of the lock the top gate can be opened and the boat driven out. In this manner a boat can the raised a substantial height (the deepest lock on the system is 12.5 feet).

Similarly, when lowering the boat, the boat enters at the top, the top gate is closed, the bottom gate paddles are opened, allowing the water to flow out, and when the levels on the inside and outside are the same, the bottom gates can be opened and the boat driven out.

For the practical among you; the top gate is a single gate which, when closed, sits on a wooden and concrete cill (frame) and is held closed by the weight of the water in the canal.

This picture is taken from inside the lock as the water is emptying out the bottom gates and shows the top gate firmly in position with some water leaking round it. You can also see the cill (sill) with the water pouring over it. It sticks out into the lock like a step. More about the cill later.

The lower gates are a pair which fit together in a wedge shape pointing into the lock. They are forced together by the weight of the water in the lock. There are always leaks and lots of water splashing about the place.

These gates are closed, with the lock full.

The same gates open, with the lock empty and the boat ready to emerge.

This lock is empty, with the top gate closed

A lock is said to be "set" if, when one arrives at a lock it is ready for the boat to be driven straight in with out all the hassle of filling or emptying it.

Now, to the lessons learned. And, as of this afternoon it is no longer two, but three.

1. When entering a lock to "lock down" one the crew has to wait until the top gate is closed before the bottom paddles are opened. The top gate was still half-closed when one of the bottom paddles was opened so the water in the lock surged towards the bottom gate. The top gate was snatched away from the crew member closing it and slammed shut with a mighty thump. The slamming gate sent a wave down the lock lifting the boat and dropping it again, The wave hit thje bottom gates and came this time sending the boat crashing back into the top gate. Not a happy experience for the helmsman.

2. When approaching the bottom gates of a full  lock when "locking up" - slow down. The helmsman on duty later admitted to a "mis-judgement". He seemed to hit the gate at speed. The two gates were forced open a fraction of an inch and slammed shut again. The jet of water that came out of that small slit was very impressive and flooded the front of the boat. Fortunately the doors were shut!

3. When the book says in big letters "When in a lock always keep well clear of the top concrete cill behind the boat" they mean it!!!!

The boat was in the lock, the top gate was closed, and the two crew members opened the bottom gate paddles. Suddenly the helmsman (correctly) shouted "STOP" "STOP". I have to say the reaction time of the two crew members was amazing as they realised what had happened - the back of the boat was caught on the cill. In fact the boat was already nose down in the lock. The two crew members ran back to the top gate and opened the top paddles, lifting the boat and restoring it to the correct alignment. We all needed time to pause and reflect before we went back to the beginning of the routine and successfully negotiated the lock. It happens so quickly and can cause huge damage to the propeller and the rudder.

Here endeth the lesson, which I hope meant something to someone!

Wet and cold Thursday

Today has been a variable day - very overcast in the morning and then raining most of the afternoon.

We had moored last night just to the south of the Adderley Locks - a flight of five - so after our coffee this morning started the day with the locks. Within half an hour we crossed the border from Shropshire into Cheshire and arrived at the Audlem Locks - a flight of fifteen.

For the first time on our trip we followed a 'leapfrog' routine, where one of us would go ahead, set the lock and see the boat through, closing gates, paddles etc. The other member of the locking crew would 'leapfrog' down to the next lock and prepare it to receive the boat, then stay on whilst the boat went through. We swopped roles very happily and all had turns at the helm, and doing locking duties.

By the time we arrived at the village of Audlem we were ready for breakfast, but decided that, after we had taken on water and visited the canal shop we should head out into the country and moor for breakfast. Which is what we did - at 12.30!

Audlem is a lovely village and, I would think well worth a visit on Google to have a look at the Canal Shop and the celebrated pub "The Shroppie Fly"

Breakfast over we travelled on along the Shroppie. As I have said, Telford designed it in a utilitarian manner for speed, so the canal runs straight and true through the fields with few turns to break the monotony

That was when the rain came down and thank goodness for the workers rain-gear that I bought at the farmers co-op in Umhlali! It worked very well and and I kept dry in the pouring rain. Later John took over, also in good quality rain-gear, his comment later was that it was a great experience standing all

alone in the rain with " now't but his own company".

So we arrived in Nantwich where we had seen that there was a laundromat available at the Nantwich Canal Centre. We gathered up all our dirty washing and made our way to the laundry where we were guided through the process by a young lady who was not in the least put out by the advent of three rough-and-ready gentlemen from the canal with bags of washing. An hour later all was washed and dried and we returned to the boat.

I should mention here that none of us is carrying a watch, so we don't have the first clue as to the time.Yesterday when we went into the supermarket for provisions, John said that he wanted to go to a local bank to change "old" English pounds into the "new" currency. The very helpful young man gave us the directions to the closest bank, but as we set off, he said, "you do know it is quarter to five and the banks will be shut!" 

Today the same thing happened when we walked into the laundromat - we were told that we would have to move fast as it was 3.00pm and the laundromat closed at 4.00!

Washing done, off we set again and headed for the viollage of Barbridge where we have moored for the night. We walkked over to the local pub - the "Barbridge Inn" and enjoyed some very good food. Stan - roast rump of lamb; John - ale and steak pie; and Rob - a sirloin steak.

We are now back on board enjoying a cup of coffee before we head for bed.

This is a picture of the wharf at Audlem with the pub the "Shroppie Fly" in the foreground

A wet Wednesday morning

Last night we woke to the sound of rain hammering on the roof and I wondered what the dawn would bring. We were pleasantly suprised to find that by 7.00 the rain had stopped and, although overcast, the weather is fair.

We spent last night in the village of Wheaton Aston, and had a fine meal (of cod and chips) at the Hartley Arms.

Having said that I feel that I must tell our anxious wives that we have been eating well. On Sunday we stopped in Stone and had lunch at The Star, a pub which I think I have already mentioned. Our lunch was ale and steak pie. On Monday our main meal was taken in the evening and Stan and I were treated to a wonderful potato and leek soup which John made using the fresh vegetables we had bought at the Farm Shop. The soup was accompanied by ciabatta bread rolls, also from the Farm Shop. And then last night's cod, chips and mushy peas (which Stan and John found questionable) complete the main meals.

The routine we seem to have fallen into is - up at 7.00, have a cup of coffee sitting round the table and discussing the day ahead, cast off and travel until we moor for breakfast, which could be at any time!

Mid-afternoon we have coffee and a biscuit (wonderful 'oaties' from the Farm Store). Just in case you are concerned for our well-being I have cooked a full breakfast twice - Monday and today, Wednesday. John's marmalade has been favourably compared in a taste test with a jar of 'Betty's' or 'Granny's' marmalade. Stan and I feel that John has managed to catch the taste of the original very well.

This is our little kitchen (please note that the washing up has been done!)

Below the hob is a small grill, and, below that, a small oven

The weather thus far has been very good to us, Sunday was wonderfully sunny, Monday and Tuesday overcast with patches of sun, today heavily overcast and looking like we could have some rain.

Well today (it is now just past 1.00) has been good to us. We have made our way through Little Onn and High Onn, through Chamberlains Covert and the Cowley Tunnel into Gnosall (pronounced "No-zull"). After Gnosall we encountered the greatest work of Thomas Telford. The "Shroppie" was his masterpiece, but to keep to his principles of straight canals (which cut down distance and thus time) he had to create great embankments and cuttings. Some of these embankments are as high as 80 feet and the Shelmore embankment built in 1834 was a nightmare for him as it kept collapsing. Sadly, although  the rest of the canal was completed, he died before the Shelmore was correctly built. Following the Shelmore is the "Grub Street Cutting" which is 80 feet deep!

Staffordshire is wide and flat with beautiful green fields stocked with cattle and sheep. There is a huge dairy industry here and at Knighton we passed the Cadbury Wharf where milk was delivered from local farms, and boats brought in cocoa and 'sugar crumb'. The raw chocolate was then sent, by boat down to the Bournville factory in Birmingham. An interesting point as we (John, Suzanne, Sarah and I) had passed the Bournville factory on our first trip in 2000 on the Stourport Ring. Here is the old wharf -

Thanks to Thomas Telford we have not seen a lock all day!

We have one more of his great cuttings to travel through - Woodseaves - then we will hit the five Tyrley Lockswhich take us down into Market Drayton.

On we go!

Tuesday Junctions

Today, again we amazed ourselves by waking at 7.00. Bed at 9.00 and waking at 7.00 means 10 hours sleep, which must be good! Already we are feeling the good effects of the holiday, we are relaxed and able to talk easily together. A happy place to be for "Three Men on a Boat".

Leaving Penkridge we voyaged up the Staffs and Worcs Canal through locks with names which evoke the history of the county we are travelling through - Otherton, Rodbaston, Boggs, Brick Kiln and Gailey (where there used to be stables for a change of horses for the working narrowboats using the canal). At Gailey Wharf we called in at the Roundhouse Canal Shop having walked up the towpath and over the Roman-built Watling Street, now rather sadly called "the A5". The Roundhouse has a little shop on the ground floor and the owner of the shop and her daughter live in the two stories above. Built in 1805, the Roundhouse was probably built to celebrate Nelson's victory at Trafalgar. Apparently a number of such Roundhouses were built. Why? No idea!

On the route between Boggs Lock and Hatherton Junction we travelled in a huge curve circling Calf Heath which is best described by Pearson - "a strangely isolated tract of country, pancake flat and crossed by a grid of sullen little roads, with here and there a huddle of houses, gathered reassuringly together like something out of Van Gogh's early potato field paintings." It is, he says, a "gravel pit riddled landscape". Well, I am not sure what he was smoking at the time he wrote that, but that was not quite how we saw the country-side, wooded and beautiful!

At Hatherton Junction we passed a Marina which uses the end of an old canal as moorings. Sad to see a disused canal, but good to know that there is a move afoot to restore it some day.

Travelling through Staffordshire we passed the villages of Cross Green and Coven Heath. One would expect these to be rural hamlets, but in fact they are built up areas of modern semi-detached and terraced houses. We passed under the M54 (very busy with cars and trucks) and so left Staffordshire and came into the county of "West Midlands".

The first highlight was what the old boatmen called "Pendeford Rocking" which is a very narrow cutting through an outcrop of sandstone. Fortunately there are two passing places where one boat can pull in and another, travelling in the opposite dirtection, can pass by. Which was fortunate for us as a boat came our way and, gentlemen that we are, we pulled in to the passing place and waved the other boat through.

And so to Autherley Junction where we left the Staffs and Worcs and joined the Shropshire Union Canal. We were so busy talking that it was only as we passed the turning did we realise what it was. It was not the happiest of times as we reversed, got stuck across the canal, had to use ropes to pull etc. and at the same time avoid a boat coming out of the Shropshire into the Staffs and Worcs. We managed fine in the end, arriving in the 'Stop Lock' which marks the beginning of the Canal. A stop lock is there to tell you that you are entering a canal owned by a different company and the difference in levels is usually only 6 inches!

The Shropshire is stunning - I just love the tranquility and the reflections -

More later!

Pictures

I have heard the call for more pictures so, here you are.

Here are the "Three Men in a Boat" Rob, Stan and John. (Note the "Four Counties Ring" caps specially made for the voyage.

This next picture gives you an idea of what it looks like entering a lock. Note that the photo is taken from the STERN of the boat which is 69 feet from the bow, so what is happening there is a long way a way!

As one travels through suburban areas, you have a sneaky into people's back gardens 

This sad little picture shows what happens when you don't concentrate!

Here you can see the beauty of the Staffs and Worcs canal.

 

An idyllic scene taken near the village of Coven Heath as we emerge from under a farm bridge

Well, I hope that whets your appetites for now, another post will follow later in the day with some observations on the workings of the locks.