Not a very summery day

Thursday 22^nd August; bridge 14 to Endon

Apparently there was heavy rain overnight, but I was fast asleep at the time.  It was dull and drizzly first thing, and we weren’t planning a long day’s cruising, so there was no need to rush.  Dave wanted to check the gearbox oil and also have a look down the weed hatch before we left, so I took Jess off for a walk. The towpath and paths leading off it are tarmac so there was no risk of getting muddy after the rain. 

Dave’s hunch that we had picked up something round the prop as we left Stoke was correct.   Fortunately the various bits of plastic and a wide ribbon of elastic were all easily removed.

It was nearly 11 by the time we set off.  It wasn’t very warm but at least it wasn’t raining.  The canal is narrower than the T&M had been, often tree-lined and quite bendy.  We met the hire-boat we had been behind at Stone, on his way back to Great Haywood.  The steerer warned us how twisty the canal was, and I think he must have been finding it very taxing – a suspicion confirmed by the boater we moored next to at Milton, whose boat he had side-swiped as he passed.  Dave reckoned he would have found it a lot easier had he slowed down a bit.  Our fellow-moorer wanted to know where we had spent last night, and was keen to impart his opinion on the horrors of Hanley Park, which he says is still a complete no-go area for overnight mooring, and Etruria is getting to be as bad, even the moorings near the facilities block and the museum.

I went up to the Co-op in Milton.  Don’t believe the sign that implies the shops are 150 yards from the bridge – it lies!  Though there is a little butcher-cum-bakery much closer to the canal, where I bought a couple of Eccles cakes.  They were nice but could have done with more filling. 

We had lunch before moving on again.  We could have stayed but it feels very hemmed-in here, with houses on the opposite back and trees along the towpath.  The views began to open out as we neared Engine lock.  This lock is very deep, 12’ 1” and took ages to empty, as the paddle gear took over 40 turns each side to raise the paddles.  It wasn’t difficult, just slow.  Does it need the extra gearing because the lock is so deep?  Two lift bridges follow quite quickly – the first has been converted to use the key of power, and the second is now left open.  The sun was coming out at last and it was pleasantly warm once more.

Did Oliver hang over the parapet to paint his name, or put his feet on the ledge and hang on with one hand while he painted?

We could have moored below the Stockton Brook flight but decided to go up as we hadn’t really come far today at all.  The bottom two locks are very deep, and like all the other locks today were against us.  The locks are most comfortable to ascend if you position the bow close to the top gates.  No matter how gently and slowly you crack the second ground paddle, the boat will shoot forward if it isn’t already at the gate.

The imposing Victorian waterworks at the bottom lock

At the second lock there were some excellent blackberry bushes (though we had to be careful to avoid the nettles) and with no other boats around we paused to pick a bowlful once the lock was full.  A couple of the locks have sculptures representing local industries past and present.  The panel at the bottom left of the one below holds the remains of various items of pottery.  It rather looks as though they were once complete mugs, plates etc but over the years have (been) broken.

The cottage at the top lock looks as though it could be a holiday cottage with occupants just arrived - a little girl was excited to see a boat and then even more thrilled to see a duck on the lawn.  Also at the top lock is an amusing stencilled image of a zebra’s coat being hung up to dry, reminiscent of a Banksy.

I hope you are going to wash my socks too

We moored at Endon on the first good stretch of bank we came to.  Storm Lilian is on the way and it’s forecast to rain heavily overnight, so we want to be clear of trees.  Here we can see houses across the fields on both sides, but apart from sirens on the Stoke to Leek road a few hundred yards away it is quiet.

4 miles, 6 locks, 1 lift bridge