Baddeley Green

Today's Canals : Trent and Mersey, Caldon 

We were not able to get away early today as Mike had to await a phone call - routine follow up from the tests carries out at the beginning of this year. It was both on time and efficient, lasting barely 10 minutes. In addition, a question asked last time (some months back) had not been followed up but this time Mike had a return call within 15 minutes.

Oleanna were away before us but came for a short chat as they left. We eventually left not long after 10:30, rather sooner than anticipated. We immediately passed the entrance to Festival Park Marina - not an especially large marina and at least a third of the space is used as a hire base for Black Prince.

It was but a short run to Etruria Junction where we turned left onto the Caldon Canal. As part of the canal maintenance yard still operating from here, is a full set of boater facilities. We were mostly interested in the elsan (we found water and rubbish disposal at Harecastle South yesterday) but as today is a laundry day we also topped up the water tank, just to be safe.

We passed under this interestingly designed footbridge before pulling in at the first lock - the staircase of two. A wait whilst another boat finished coming down.

As can be seen, the central gates are substantial, as they handle a double rise. This staircase is slightly unusual as the two locks are of different capacity, with the upper one significantly large. It has a large overflow bult into the side of the lower lock to allow the excess to run away to the side when the upper lock is being emptied into the lower one. (We hope you have got all that as there will be an exam on it later)

Christine discovered that we were out of red kidney beans - usually at least one tin in stock. Mike had already prepared most of the chilli whilst waiting for the phone call. OK, we have had bean-free chilli in the past but that was not intentional (LTRU) When we arrived at Planet Lock, we had identified that there should be a small Premier convenience store just next to the canal. So, whilst Mike began to set the lock and bring the boat up - it is not a deep lock - Christine went in search of beans. Alas, there has been a takeover and the new shop has a focus on snacks: crisps and sweets.

We then spotted a very new Lidl alongside Bridge 8 and the Emma Bridgewater pottery. So new that Google only has a cleared former industrial site at this place. Christine set off from the bridge, leaving Mike to tie up to a good set of rings just beyond. She was so speedy that he had only just tied up when he saw here walking back down the towpath. However, it was now close to lunch time and so we took advantage of the good mooring.

Half past two and we managed to untie an move out into the countryside. For a couple of miles the canal dodges in and out of built up areas, the edge of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation.

As we neared Birches Head Bridge we could see a very busy line of students from the nearby Academy - we then realised that this was the first day of term for the whole school. 

A sharp bend at Foxley - once Foxley Junction - hides its origins. At one time a short canal ran about a mile to Ford Green Iron Works. This was later replaced by the Biddulph Valley Branch of the North Staffordshire Railway. There is no sign of it at all - it started just behind where the blue work boat is moored. The narrows in the foreground is all that remains of a much earlier bridge that linked to a site with several chemical processes, including oil and aluminium. The bridge remained on maps until about the 1960s.

Although there is a good mooring with rings at Milton Bridge, it is somewhat overlooked by large trees to one side and closely packed housing to the other so we opted to carry on a little further to the next known spot just beyond the edge of the known universe and before the start of more locks.

This time we were more on the opposite side so Mike took the opportunity to fix the trims on the other windows.

5.6 Miles - 3 Locks