Aston marina

Sunday 21^st July; Brassworks bridge to Aston marina

This is a lovely quiet mooring once the traffic dies down, though I don’t know what it’s like on a sunny evening when the residents of Little Stoke on the opposite bank are having barbecues and parties!  It’s popular with dog walkers, not surprising as there is a bridge conveniently placed at each end of this stretch of towpath.

I didn’t take a snap of the mooring yesterday because of the rain and totally forgot this morning.  After changing the bedding, which is quite a performance as Alchemy has just pointed out, we dropped down Aston lock and slid into our mooring without problems.

I failed to take any photos at all today, so here is one of the marina entrance from 2015, the last time we stayed here.

As it’s the first weekend of the school holidays we reasoned that the roads would be very busy this morning with people travelling for holidays or days out, so we didn’t rush the packing up.  It was a good decision - we left at about 1 o’clock, and the only slow traffic was on the few miles of the M6 before it joins the M5, which is always bad.  We were home in time to give the dog her tea.

Less than a mile and 1 lock.

Trip stats;

·       Just over 73 miles - 41 miles 1¼ furlongs narrow canals, 31 miles 7 furlongs broad canals.

·       76 locks – 54 narrow (mostly on Heartbreak Hill), 22 broad.

·       Harecastle tunnel (2919 yards).

·       Canalplan said there were 15 aqueducts or underbridges.  We didn’t notice any, and none was large enough to feature on Nicholsons.  But we did go underneath Poole aqueduct which carries the Macc over the T&M.

·       Waterways – Llangollen, Shroppie, Middlewich Branch, T&M.

 

A rail journey from Stone

Friday July 19^th; Barlaston to Stone (top)

It would be a different kind of day from yesterday – a much shorter cruise, for a start.

Morning sun at Barlaston

We left at about 9.15, already in shorts and t-shirts.  We had no intention of going through Stone today, as I need to catch a train and the station has good access from the top lock.  But we weren’t expecting Meaford locks to be so busy so early!  A boat was waiting for the top lock to fill – an experienced boater was moving his brother’s boat, but his crew was a complete novice.  Luckily he was a quick learner and, because boats were coming up, things kept moving.  The top lock was a little slow to fill, because the footboard was taped off and it took time to walk round to raise the offside paddle.  This had to be done, as two boats had arrived behind us while we filled the lock.

The slant was even greater than it looks here

At the third lock there was a short delay, as the crew of the boat coming up lowered the towpath paddle before I had crossed the gate, and as the lock above was being emptied already, the extra water in the short pound prevented us opening it, so I had to raise the paddle again.  It’s happened to me more than once so I never close the towpath side paddle before I open the gate, but it was completely new to this chap and I’m not sure he understood what the issue was. 

We moored on the 5-day stretch of rings above Line Kiln lock and we were soon on our way across the lock to Stone station – I’m taking a turn at the car shuffle this time.  The footbridge over the railway on the way there is high and steep and was very taxing on our knees, though Jess skipped up with no problem.

The beautiful station building

 I had 10 minutes to wait for the train, so once I’d recovered from crossing another hugely high footbridge, I inspected the artwork in the platform shelter.  The local school has been involved in a project with the Friends of Stone Station to raise awareness of the heritage of the station.  There are raised planters with flowers too.

Apart from accommodating the overhead electrics, the far platform retains much of its original appearance, though I fear the doors might all be locked and the building not used as part of the station any more.  I don’t know what goes on in the building now, though the upstairs seems to be lived in with curtains and ornaments in the windows.

The electrics are far higher than the platform shelter – that must be why the footbridges are so enormous.  If you can’t manage the stairs and want to travel north, I suppose you have to go to  a different station and catch the train there.  There seems to be no other way to cross the line.

The train was on time, clean and plenty of seating available so I chose the side with a view of the canal.

Across the meadow – Barlaston?

No idea where this is but it’s before Kidsgrove

I caught a glimpse of the orange canal as the train crossed just before the Harecastle tunnel, and shortly afterwards we were in Crewe.  We had already decided that whoever collected the car, they would get a taxi from Crewe – a mite expensive but very much easier than waiting for a train from Nantwich and needing to book a taxi to Swanley Bridge – it’s a long walk otherwise.  I was mystified by the driver asking if the train had been ok, as there seemed to have been some sort of trouble this morning – I thought he was referring to the recent rail and junior doctor strikes.  It wasn’t until much later that I heard about the massive IT outage caused by a bug in Windows!

It was only two miles or so to walk back to the boat from the marina, but the heat was stifling even though I was walking in the shade of the towpath hedge most of the way.  After a long cool drink and a rest, we walked back down the locks for a different long cool drink at the Star by the bottom lock.  Unfortunately they weren't doing food, and we didn't fancy Smoke and Rye on the other bank in the place of the Italian we remember, so I nipped over to the new M&S Food for something quick and easy to eat this evening.  We took two of the hopper windows out to cool the boat down when we got back.

3 miles, 4 locks and a long hot walk

 

Harecastle, and a long hot slog through Stoke

July 18^th; Harding’s Wood to Barlaston

I awoke to birdsong at 4.30, put the porthole bungs in and went back to sleep.  We woke at 7.30 to brilliant sunshine.  It all started well, we weren’t planning to be at the tunnel portal at 8, reasoning if the northbound boats came through first we’d have to wait anyway, and so it proved.  We went up the last lock of Heartbreak Hill behind Geordie Spirit and a hire boat was coming up after us. 

Plant’s lock is currently a single – there is a stoppage notice on the pair.

The single boat coming north was emerging as we did the safety briefing with the CRT chap, then we donned our lifejackets, shut the dog inside with a tasty bone to keep her occupied, all the lights on, and in we went, all before 9 o’clock.

Looking back at the north portal

I looked out for the skeleton climbing out of its alcove – we have been through the Harecastle several times but never seen it.  This time I did at least see some alcoves, but none was occupied.  There are several changes of roof height, clearly marked with white paint, but once your tunnel light has passed beneath it you have to keep a sharp lookout.  We have a low illumination from a light at the stern, which helps a lot.

The noise of the fans at the south end was much louder and we heard it much sooner than we remembered.  At long last we saw the south portal door open and the first boat was on its way out. 

Geordie Spirit escapes

If you’ve never gone through the Harecastle you probably don’t know that when you come in from the south the door shuts behind you and strong fans switch on to draw air through the tunnel so boaters don’t asphyxiate in their own fumes.  It’s quite alarming the first time you experience it.

Our turn at last

We realised that the hire boat that was having its safety briefing as we entered the tunnel was dropping back – the headlamp on a boat following you is bright if it is not very far behind you, but although the hireboat’s headlamp was bright to start with, we could see it growing dimmer the nearer to the exit we got.  By the time we were out it was so far behind us that the tunnel keeper had to close the doors and start the fans again.  We heard this from Geordie Spirit, who had stopped to water up.  The poor steerer was on his own too – his crew had preferred to walk over the top!  We didn’t speak to them, but it must have been quite stressful for the poor man. 

The water is still orange here but it soon goes back to normal

It took us 40 minutes to get through, but it must have taken him a lot longer.  We didn’t stop at Westport lake, as we hadn’t really been going for very long, and instead went on past Middleport pottery, ReadyMick’s cement lorries and a good mural.

We turned onto the Caldon to take on water at the service block where it meets the Trent and Mersey.

James Brindley forever stares at the junction with the T&M

While Dave looked after the water I took the rubbish round to the bins, which are in a large compound.  Someone has nailed up several pallets against the wooden fencing and turned them into planters.

Someone local clearly looks after them – how clever to brighten up the bins, especially if some tired boater has just slogged up the Stoke locks on a wet day!  There was a bit of a delay as we emerged from the Caldon to make the sharp turn towards the top of Stoke locks.  There isn’t a lot of room here as the lock is very close to the junction.  A single-hander was waiting on the lock landing, but the boat coming up the lock wanted to turn onto the Caldon, the entrance to which we were blocking.  The single hander bow-hauled his boat as close to the lock as he could – because he was in our way – then Dave executed a gentle but perfect turn before reversing away from the lock, so that the boat coming up had space to make the tight turn onto the Caldon.  Dave had almost decided to reverse away from the water point instead of using the winding hole – he thought it probably would have been easier if he had.  Anyway, at last we were on our way again.  The Stoke locks are all deep, and it was slow going as two of the locks had a paddle out, but eventually we were down.

Bottle Kilns along the lock flight

Stoke Bottom Lock

Many years ago there used to be a young man who liked to help out at the lock.  He used to exhibit his paintings along the cottage fence.  Unfortunately he was an alcoholic and the last time we saw him he was ill, and being helped by a CRT chap – I think in those days there was an office or depot here.  We heard later that he had died.  Very sad.

There is a long row of moorings under the busy road bridge below the bottom lock.  Should we stop for a break?  With the A500 running alongside, and the tunnel smelling of piss, we thought not.  So I went below to make sandwiches and we ate on the move.  I was out in time to see the works of Jones and Shufflebottom (Jones & Shuffs), a landmark along here, and then we were on the lookout for the shooting range.  First came a line of moored craft.

A very green boat

And then came the shooting range with its interesting mix of activities.  It doesn’t say it’s a shooting range, but we could hear an airgun in use and see the pockmarked target wall above the fence.

Eclectic variety of activities

It was a long, long drag in the heat to get out of Stoke.  It was very, very hot and the afternoon seemed to go on for ever with no mooring opportunities.  We could have stopped at Hem Heath bridge in Trentham, but decided to push on and get out of the built-up area completely.  CRT were holding a Let’s Fish! event at bridge 105 – the CRT fishermen were still tackling up, so we guessed they were after the kids coming out of school. 

We finally moored about 400 yards before the Plume of Feathers at Barlaston, surrounded by fields with cows opposite for neighbours.  After a hot and tiring day, Dave still had the energy to wash down the starboard side of the boat.  It was still hot as we walked down to the pub for an excellent pint of beer.  Neil Morrissey (whose pub it is) now has his own branded beer, but we had Doom Bar, Dave’s favourite, and Pedigree, mine.

11 miles, 7 locks, Harecastle tunnel, nearly 8 long hot hours on the move apart from 20 minutes taking on water.

Nearly at the tunnel

July 17^th; Rode Heath to Harding’s Wood

How lovely to wake to a glorious sunny morning at last!  Before we left, Jess had a frenetic five minutes playing zoomies with a young whippet – they were obviously having great fun, and it was hilarious for the owners to watch.

 We left a little earlier than usual today.  We were still going up Heartbreak Hill, but it was a much easier day lockwise than yesterday.  We were behind a boat which had passed us a while before we set off, but with most locks paired there was usually one side which was ready for us, or nearly so.  One good thing about the T&M is that all the locks have a footbridge at the bottom gates, so the crew does not have the dilemma, when closing them, of walking all the way round the lock via the top gate to close the opposite side or taking the risk of stepping across the gap to do it.

No need to step across the gap

The other good thing is the plentiful ridges or metal bars to brace your feet against when moving the heavy top gates.

Not sure why the dog's lead is there

We did meet a couple of boats coming down, which also helps.

Passing at Lawton Middle lock

Some of the non-functional locks still look as though they could be used, as they are chained to prevent use but otherwise look normal.  But some really are derelict.

As we climbed higher up the hill, we began to catch distant views of Mow Cop, the folly built on a hill the other side of the Macclesfield canal.

The distant Mow Cop high on its hill

We moored before the Red Bull services to dispose of rubbish and recycling.  At last there were some glass recycling bins with space in them!  Calveley bins were overflowing, and Wheelock had no glass recycling at all, so our empty bottles were beginning to become an embarrassment.  The toilets and showers here have been out of action for a while, and another boater told me he had heard that CRT were closing a lot of them completely, which would be a shame.  We had lunch, then moved on up Red Bull lock, where a family was enjoying a drink in the pub garden, dressed as though they had come from a funeral.  The older man grew up round here and used to help the working boats through, occasionally being allowed to steer between locks.  His nephew, probably around 12, had never worked a lock so I invited him to help with the top gate.  He was just at the age where they are a bit worried about looking cool, so it was good he enjoyed it.

We had noticed yesterday that the colour of the water was beginning to change to the vivid colour we expect at Harecastle tunnel.  It’s now that startling orange, caused by iron oxide from groundwater leaching into the canal.  Dave brought Bonjour under the Poole aqueduct, which carries the Macc over the T&M

and up Limekiln lock beyond, before we moored for the rest of the day on the long and pleasant mooring below the final lock before the tunnel.   That’s for tomorrow.  If you arrive after 12 noon and haven't booked to go through 24 hours earlier, you have to wait till the next morning.  I took my shopping trolley and went to both Lidl and Tesco while Dave and Jess went up the steps to the aqueduct and along the Macc for a bit.

There are few passers-by, no boats came past and apart from the occasional blare from the trains it was very peaceful.

3 miles, 11 locks

On and on up Heartbreak Hill

Tuesday 18^th July; Paddy’s Wood to Rode Heath

Well, it wasn’t raining when we woke up, or when I took the dog out, although it looked as though it might.  But it didn’t.

Rather gloomy, first thing this morning

I walked with Jess along the towpath to the Wheelock services, a little over a mile.  The air was damp, but it wasn’t quite raining.  The towpath seems to be following the line of an older edge to the canal, with short stretches of raised wiggly ironwork along the path.  Some public-spirited person has painted them red so walkers don’t trip on them.  Brian from NB Harnser writes; 'The red bits are the ground anchors for the tieback irons that hold up the piling, if you look you will see the nuts in the piling line up with them.'

The services mooring was empty, so we pulled in for the water point.  After dumping the rubbish and recycling – all good except for the total lack of glass recycling, which is beginning to build up a bit!! – Jess and I went over to the Pet Store.  We have been here before and I was glad to see it is still there – a treasure trove of lovely things for dogs, cats, horses, small furries …. Jess was happily hoovering up spilt titbits while I got some gravy bones and sausage rolls (aka mini markies) from the self-serve bins.  I also bought a ‘filled bone’ – not a messy bit of bloody real bone, but a bit of cleaned, hollowed out cow marrowbone filled with something tasty but not fresh bloody bone marrow.  You used to be able to get proper marrowbones for dogs for 50p from butchers, but now of course bone marrow is a premium ingredient in posh restaurants.  This turned out to be an excellent buy.  That was followed by a quick trip to the little shop for some milk while Dave finished filling the water tank.  We were sorry to have missed the Italian restaurant last night, but we were a little far out on a wet evening – you win some, you lose some.  Next time, maybe.  We started off up the Wheelock flight.

To start with, all the locks were paired.  |As Bonjour rose up the first lock, I went on to ready the next, and to my delight there was a boat behind us and their crew closed up for Dave – so I raised a paddle for them on the other lock in the pair I was working.  This was good for a few locks, then there was a pair with one side out of action, which messed up our flow.

Chained up

On we went, the weather damp and very warm but not actually raining.  Several more locks were singles, so we didn’t see our ‘partners’ again till they passed us as we had lunch above Hassall Green locks.  I hope they spotted the orchids along the way.

Below Hasasal Green locks

Once, we had a lovely birthday lunch for Dave at the Lock 57 cafe, at the top of Hassall Green locks.  That's long gone, as is the little Post Office next door, though the post box is still there in the cottage wall.  How far would we get this afternoon?  Up Pierpoint locks, with the unusual arrangement at the top of the bywash.

It wasn’t likely to rain, but we were getting tired – there are a lot of locks, some of them are quite heavy, and they were mostly against us meaning more effort for me and more time spent waiting around for Dave.  So we decided we would stop at Rode Heath.  There were some lovely flowers along the way – the restricted towpath cutting is yielding dividends in some areas though it’s not so wonderful in other parts.

The afternoon had turned chilly and windy after a hot and sultry morning as we moored at Rode Heath.  We relaxed with a cup of tea for a bit, and then went to the Broughton Arms for a very nice meal.  It’s dog-friendly, and we met a lovely local couple with their dog, and another couple with a small child rather than a dog, and it was all delightful.   I had a delicious macaroni cheese, which I never make at home because Dave hates it, so it was a real treat!  Jess had walked/run a lot today, helping me work the locks, so she didn’t get another walk till afterwards, when Dave took her off down the footpaths through the woods  and meadows of the old salt works of Rode Heath Rise, right by our mooring.  A really nice place to stop overnight.

5 miles, 14 locks and I know why they call it Heartbreak Hill