Yet again we awoke to a bright sunny morning and, yet again, it was not to last beyond mid morning! before setting off, Mike walked back to the bridge at Barlaston to collect a newspaper from the OneStop shop close by.
Soon after leaving our overnight mooring we passed the Wedgewood factory.
And a little later we arrived at Trentham Lock where a boat was leaving, one was ahead of us and then two more arrived behind us. It seems that the traffic is going our way today!
We passed a bank repair site - no-one was at work today - where it looks as if they are having to remove the concrete of a previous bank improvement but which is failing. Just ahead we passed a further couple of workboats, the first of which was loaded with steel piles.
Unfortunately the second pan had been tied up with the usual fine string and broken loose at one end. We just managed to squeeze by.
Stoke City's Britannia ground stands on a small hill with a pretty lake in between (and also the railway line) It has just been announced that there will soon be a change in sponsorship so that it will soon be called the bet365 stadium. Not quite so grand sounding but how quickly will all the other things be changed, including one of the splendid location signs all along the canal through Stoke-on-Trent? Even the OS maps will have to be changed.
The straight stretch just south of Bridge 112 has evidence of industrial remains which have intrigued us in the past. Having discovered how to lookup older OS maps, we can see that onthew1922 map on the eastern side was the large California Works whilst the towpath bridge on the opposite side marks a short wharf arm serving the Colonial Pottery (although earlier maps and a photo on http://www.thepotteries.org/photos/wieldon_road/index.htm show the Colonial Pottery on the eastern side) Other web sites reoport that part of the California Works was used for railway locomotive building. Axiom Rail still operate from the southern part of the site, maintaining freight rolling stock. The rest of the site on Google Maps is now demolished entirely. So some information but still some mysteries to be clarified if only we cold find more information. Anyone out there know?
Just after Glebe Street Bridge (113) we found a sign that we were looking for after last night's research. We had discovered that there was once a Newcastle under Lyme Canal that started just north of the aqueduct over the River Trent. It seems that this was never much of a commercial success and was closed in the 1930's and then quickly filled in. Today there are very few signs of it on the ground although one web site did indicate that a few metres of water-filled section still exist towards the Newcastle end of the canal. Here, anyway, is where it started.
Rain clouds were now gathering apace as we headed towards Stoke Bottom Lock, surrounded by the concrete of the A500 road that runs right through Stoke (originally called the D road on account of either its shape or that the Roman numeral for 500 is D)
Shortly before the next lock, which is hard against the main railway line, is a disused railway bridge. This once carried the Market Drayton branch of the North Staffordshire Railway (The Knotty).
Close to Twyford Lock is this splendid factory, once the home of Cliff Vale Pottery. This was used by the Twyford family to produce innovative sanitary ware and they developed this site as a model factory, offering their workers some of the best conditions. Each worker had their own opening window! An interesting engraving can be seen here http://www.thepotteries.org/works/shelton/cliffe_vale.htm
The locks here are close enough for the lock operator to walk between them.
We finally reached the top two locks, very close together which lift the canal up to the summit for the Trent and Mersey.
However, we turned a very sharp right to join the Caldon Canal. The water point was in use but we were able to hover for long enough to empty the elsan and dispose of rubbish. Just around the corner we managed to squeeze into the last mooring space before the staircase locks. Time for lunch as the rain, which should not have arrived for another couple of hours or more, started to make its presence felt as we finished the top lock.
It was pretty wet and miserable as we eventually braved the weather to pass through the two staircase locks and shortly afterwards Planet Lock, our last of the day. Alongside that lock is a very new Primary Care Centre which seems to house a couple of GP practices and offer other services as well.
These chicks may look harmless right now but it will not be long before they become the menace that are the Canada Geese. Most boaters would quite happily seem them all exported back to their place of origin!
The Eastwood Pottery was originally founded by Charles Meakin and had seven large bottle kilns that have long since been demolished. In 1994 the works were saved from imminent destruction by Emma Bridgewater who built a successful business making her special designs of cups and mugs. As far as we can tell, this work continues but it is interesting to note that the name Bridgewater (which appears in some photos of the building on a website) has now disappeared.
Still one more obstacle for today, Ivy House Lift Bridge which, fortunately, is now electrically operated from a pedestal by the road side.
Not a lot further and we called it a day very much earlier than planned. Alas, the latest mechanical problem is that our central heating unit is giving us a problem. Still, Christine's fire laying skills soon brought the solid fuel stove into action.
9.2 Miles - 9 Locks
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