Stoke

It was a pleasant, sunny and breezy day as we set off from Stanley Junction - a change from the rain yesterday evening as we moored. The day gradually clouded but remained pleasant although the breeze strengthened and made slow approaches to some locks rather tricky.

After a quarter of an hour we arrived at the top of the Stockton Brook Locks - a flight of five which we polished off in 35 minutes, despite four of them being set against us. Locks like these are a pleasure to work! The building alongside the top lock looks as if it was originally stables for canal horses or perhaps a store.

We continued back down the Caldon, gradually approaching the built up areas to the north of Stoke on Trent. As we found on the way up, it is now largely very pleasant along the canal, with new housing, or the occasional office block, replacing most of the industry. One footbridge has been rebuilt in a designer mode, with glass panels for the sides. Not only does it look incongruous - there is not even another development nearby to harmonise with it - but it has proved wholly impracticable with some panels missing and many smashed or crazed.

Andrew bailed out at Bridge 3 to walk down to Stoke station to take a train back to Northwich to collect his car from Anderton.

At the bottom of the staircase locks we met a boat waiting to come up but which reported that it had lost all power. Fearing that they might have had the same coupling problem we had last year, we helped them move back onto the same mooring where we planned to have lunch. After they established that the engine would drive the prop, they examined their weed hatch only to discover that they had a badly bent blade - the result of an encounter not doubt with something unwanted in the water below the lock. A stature of James Brindley stands proudly at the end of the Caldon Canal.

Christine went to set the first of the Etruria locks - the boat coming up was very slow, not helped by a single hander on the way down.

All in all, it took us over an hour and a half to clear the flight of five and we began to work our way out into hthe countryside around Trentham. Before we completed the last of the Stoke locks, Andrew called to say that he was already at Trentham but where were we? As it happened, there was nowhere for him to park overnight at that bridge so he went in search of somewhere better towards Barlaston.

Near the site of the former Hem Heath colliery the only sign was a couple of decorative structures constructed from old mining equipment.

As we were beginning to fill Trentham Lock, ready to descend (it seemed a very slow lock, but that was because a bottom paddle had been left a little open!) Andrew arrived up the towpath and rejoined us. At least this meant that he had already studied the available mooring spots. The bank is generally quite good but also, by this time of the day, well occupied. We opted to pull in just after the Wedgewood factory.

12.8 miles - 15 locks