There’s nowt as queer as folk!

Yesterday the forecast for heavy rain arriving at 11am was enough to convince us to stay put, as it happened the rain appeared later but it did appear and it was quite heavy.

Today’s forecast was for light showers around 11am, but it rained fairly steadily much earlier, at 9:15 we decided to set off and hope for the best.

It rained on and off as we negotiated Cheddleton locks (13-14).

I spotted an angler in the distance and once within a couple of boat lengths I knocked the throttle back to tick-over as I normally do, on reaching the chap I said good morning to which he replied I was creating a ‘wake’ and was supposed to slow down, I thought at first it was just banter, I was going slowly and there was no ‘wake’ to speak of, but he wasn’t joking, I told him I was at tick over and not creating a ‘wake’ but he insisted I was, when I asked him to point out the ‘wake’  he just shook his head and stared at the bank, I have to admit to verbally questioning his intelligence, clearly a man who thinks canals were created for anglers and boats should not be moving along past him creating a 12mm ripple in the water, nowt as queer as folk!

I carried on and set the next lock, Wood’s lock (15), for Rod and when he arrived he said that another boater had told him the river section after the next lock was likely to be closed due to high water levels, this surprised me but it had rained quite heavily. Rod proceeded and when the river came into view he took the decision to wind (turn around) because he needs to be back at Etruria by a set day and didn’t wish to be the wrong side of the river in case he couldn’t get back. On reaching the lock by the winding hole I tied up and walked past the lock to look under the bridge and found that the marker board was indeed on Red, Green is normal conditions, Red is do not proceed, so I winded as well and headed back to moor up behind Rod just before Woods lock. Evidently it is unusual for it to be Red and just our bad luck/timing that prevents us seeing the last 3½ miles of the Caldon canal, some other time maybe.

No pictures due to the rain other than mooring ones, the sun came out for a while after we moored, typical!

Current mooring:

Totals today: 5 miles : 3 locks

Later on Rod walked back to take a look at the river for himself and took this picture.

We could have waited to see if the levels dropped but with more rain forecast it was not really an option for this trip.

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.

Taking the Leek Arm....

..... it was too easy to be amusing, so I ignored the obvious.

Yesterday afternoon Rod headed up to the services at Park Lane Wharf as he wanted to try to get a TV signal and wash his roof, I stayed put where I was and then this morning at around 8:15 I headed off to meet him.

En route to the services, a bit misty to begin with.

We both needed water and our plan for today was to head off and take a trip along the Leek Arm before the remnants of hurricane Ophelia gave us any grief, the arm is lock free and about three miles long and I headed off to lead the way once we were both filled and emptied.

Park Lane Wharf service building with shower WC etc. and three water points.

It was a lovely little trip and well worth the effort, the arm is shallow, narrow and with quite a few tight bends and bridge holes to negotiate, a couple of small aqueducts and a tunnel, it’s full of interest.

I’ll just let the pictures tell the tale although they don’t do it justice and some parts were missed while I concentrated on steering J

On the Caldon heading for the junction.

Hazlehurst Junction, the Caldon continues straight on, the Leek Arm
is over to the right, we'll be back later.

That's a lock on the Caldon we are now parallel with it.

And now passing over it on the small aqueduct.

Rod negotiating bridge 3

With high ground on the left and the Churnet Valley on the right
some lovely vistas.

Autumn is here, leaves a plenty.

A former asylum in the distance.

Just before Leek tunnel a large pool appears.

South Portal

Just getting lined up!

and I'm in, a short 130 yard tunnel, one way working !

Some parts have been relined (above pic) others not, this shows the joint.

That's Rod entering the tunnel behind me.

Looking back at the North Portal

Almost at the end of the arm just after bridge 9 there is a winding (turning) hole for boats over 45’ long, the canal does continue for about a quarter mile but is very narrow and the winding hole at the end will only allow boats 45’ or under to wind, so I winded and moored on the first space just clear of the winding hole, graciously allowing Rod the more lengthy and tricky reverse back to the only other space 3 boat lengths away, well I was there first!

Current Mooring:

The winding hole between my mooring and the bridge.

Rod doing a fine reverse.

And he's in and moored up.

Totals today: 4 miles : 1 Tunnel

A walk through an industrial estate gives access to a Morrison’s so I topped up with veg and bits, we are staying put tomorrow so I will do a second trip.

It’s now mid afternoon and the wind is quite strong, definitely not the time to be cruising.