Back on the Caldon Canal.

The leftover wind from storm Ophelia cause quite a bumpy evening and night but by yesterday it had calmed down. I walked back through the industrial estate and revisited Morrison’s and picked up a couple of bits from the B&M store.

Today I had a bit of a late start waking as usual at 5:30 but dozing off again to finally rise at 7:45, so it was 9:15 before Rod led us back through Leek tunnel and along the arm to Hazlehurst junction, just a couple of pictures as we passed along the very quiet arm.

You gotta love the dinky ones.

At Hazlehurst junction you can head almost straight ahead to go back to Etruria but if you wish to journey further along the Caldon it’s a 180 degree turn to be faced with lock 35 and not a lot of room to manoeuvre, because of this I left Rod to go ahead and stopped and tied up myself just before the junction then walked up to suss out what was going on, Rod had already made the turn and been fortunate to have a boat just leaving the lock so he was able to go straight in, there was a 70 footer waiting to come up and around the junction after Rod had gone down so I opted to stay put and let them leave the lock and negotiate the tight turn before I moved through the junction and into the lock myself, it all worked out ok in the end. There was another boat waiting to come up so they locked me through.

Leaving the first lock at the Junction you can just make out the bridge
over the Leek arm in the upper left of the picture.

It was then down the next two locks (36-37)

Into the second lock (36)

before passing beneath the aqueduct which is now carrying the Leek arm over me.

Despite the narrowness and shallowness this really is a lovely canal to cruise, hardly a moment passing without something to look at or concentrate on.

I couldn't see the name of this pub anywhere!

We had discussed our mooring options and with space being available at the first option at Cheddelton Rod pulled in just before bridge 42, there were rings and room for two so it was perfect.

Current mooring:

 Totals today: 5 miles : 3 locks : 1 tunnel

We had thought it might be nice to go for a pub meal tonight and with a choice of two pubs in the village and one further along we decided to go on a walkabout and check them out.

The first thing we came across was Flint Mill, what a nice surprise, the two water wheels were turning and access to wander at will was available so we decided to stop and look properly on our return walk.

The first pub looked closed again and the second up a steep hill only appeared to do lunchtime food and afternoon teas, we had a wander around that part the village though.

The Black Lion

Castro’s restaurant looked nice but not really our cup of tea as it serves Latin American cuisine.

We then carried on past the next two locks and the railway station.

Railway Station.

Tucked away among lots of old stock.

before reaching The Boat pub, a two fold disappointment as it was really too far to walk back to this evening and the moorings only had room for two boats with one already in situ and staying (we asked him) so no pub meal here!

On our return we had a wander around Flint Mill, which as the name suggests used to mill flint for use in the pottery industry but although still working  it is now a museum, a very knowledgeable volounteer gave us an off the cuff explanation of various parts and some of the history, it certainly added interest to this stop over.

I don't know why I didn't take any interior pictures, I was probably too busy listening to the chap explaining things.

The weather will be the deciding factor tomorrow as to whether we continue to the end of the canal or sit it out here for a day.