Falling a Little Bit in Love - with The Caldon Canal

Well the lovely autumnal weather did hang around, until this morning....it's chucking it down, which is a good reason to sit tight and catch up with the blog.  It's also the first time we've had decent internet and mobile signals for a few days.  Still no tv though so we've worked through a few dvds this week.....
As planned we left Marple last Friday (seems like months ago!!) and headed down the Macclesfield.  (Note; there's going to be a lot of pics in this entry so I'll try and not blether on too much...)

The Macclesfield is a pretty canal and of course the autumn colours only enhanced it.  We still found it shallow in places so were grinding along at a fairly slow pace, passing more of the snake bridges, this one highlighted as a particularly pretty example.

The snake bridge enabled the horse to cross over as the towpath changed sides without unharnessing from the boat.

We carried on fairly uneventfully until we reached Macclesfield, where we saw Jane on Dawn Owl (we'd been neighbours in Liverpool), as they are moored there for the winter.  We exchanged greetings for as long as a cruise-by allows and then stopped for water.  Well, we nearly stopped for water, but as I steered Quaintrelle to come alongside, her prop hit something (the bottom of the canal I think) and I lost steerage and any ability to draw her to a halt, despite being fully in reverse.  Thankfully I was going very slowly and didn't do any damage to Quaintrelle or the CRT craft moored at the water point....(subtle point being made there CRT.....).  We took on some water and checked the prop, then continued, passing through a couple of swing bridges before reaching Bollington, where we moored for the evening.  
With a few events over the next month (dentist, wedding, holiday) we did some planning and booked Q into marinas where required.  This resulted in a slight change of plan as we'd now be on the wrong side of some stoppages on the north Stafford and Worcs canal.  We were also a day short on the Caldon, so decided to hoof it down the rest of the Macc to make up the difference.  We flew down the Bosley locks (a lovely flight, so pretty and lovely easy locks to work).

Stunning views on the Bosley flight

Someone else flying down the Bosley flight.....

The final lock on the Macc

 We stopped for the night at Congleton, visiting the local Morrisons for some pies.  We have discovered that their delirange do the best porkpies we've had in a long time.  We had a steak one for lunch yesterday and it was lovely - really lovely buttery pastry....
On Sunday we did a long day coming through the last lock on on the Macclesfield, then across the aqueduct that takes the Macc over the Trent & Mersey and then onto the Trent & Mersey for a brief soujourn on reasonably deep water before reaching Etruria Junction, which would take us on to the Caldon.

Crossing the Trent & Mersey

Waiting to go through the Harecastle tunnel, which seemed huge and unintimidating after the Standedge

Passing the Middleport Pottery where they've done some landscaping and put up some welcoming signs for boaters to moor, since we were there in the summer.

We spent the night at the junction, planning to head up the staircase locks that would take us onto the Caldon the next morning.  Having had a long day on Sunday we had a bit of a lie-in on Monday, and then I walked to Stoke station to collect our various train tickets for our various events.  The Trent & Mersey was going like a fair, with queues of boats at two of the locks I passed.  When I got back, a couple had already gone up the locks onto the Caldon and we reckoned our nice quiet week might end up being not so quiet in terms of boat traffic.  There is not much to say about the Caldon apart from it is one of the prettiest canals we've been on and I absolutely loved it.  It's gorgeous.  The scenery is varied and the locks are well maintained and easy to operate, the towpath in really good condition and plenty of lovely visitor moorings.  I will now let the pictures do the talking:

There were a couple of nice sculptures showing the history of the canal, highlighting the importance of it to the local potteries.

The Caldon splits at this junction, where we took a right onto the Leek branch.

The Leek Tunnel

Despite seeing a few boats coming onto the canal, we hardly passed anyone else on the move.  When we did, it was, of course, at a really narrow bit!

 Part of the Caldon's charm is the way it twists and weaves through so many different kinds of scenery;  one minute you're going through an enchanted wood, the next through sprawling fields.  We'd been warned it was narrow and shallow, but it was fine until yesterday.  Following some night rain a couple of days ago, they must have opened sluices somewhere as we were hitting the bottom coming off it yesterday where we'd been fine the day before.  There were some highlights; on the Monday as we headed through Bridge 14 I saw a movement in the water and was priviledged to see a water vole swimming at the edge of the reeds!!  Vince (we named him) was gorgeous, they are such shy animals it was a real treat to see one in real life :)  Like the snake on the Selby canal, he was too fast and I was too entranced to get a photo.
 Having been to Leek, we turned around and came back to the junction where we made our way down the locks.

The lock gate open revealing yet more beautiful countryside

The lovely Hazlehurst Aqueduct which we were on the day before on our way to Leek.

On Wednesday we made our way to Froghall, where the canal now terminates.  In days gone by, it went all the way to Uttoxeter.  There is a tunnel at Froghall which is so low, your boat has to be less than 5ft above the water.  We've not met anyone yet that has gone through it.

Flint Mill Lock has a template of the Froghall tunnel entrance to see if you will fit through.  As you can see, our handrails along the top of the cabin would have had their paint stripped :(

The Froghall Tunnel

If anyone DOES fit through the tunnel, they get the prize of using these wonderful moorings with boaters facilities right next door - what a waste :(

 It was frustrating to see the lovely basin at Froghall and it's facilities, completely empty :(
After a night at Froghall, we started our journey back, picking up Dave on the way, (it's okay Fran, he didn't stay the night, just for lunch, so only 1 point for Most Frequent Visitor).   An old railway line runs alongside the canal and has been restored at Consell Forge and Cheddleton, and they run steam and diesel trains during the summer months.

Approaching Consell station, where the canal is just a few feet from the rails.

Weir in fast flow from the canal under the railway.

Old limekilns at Consell Forge, where there is a water point with the strongest pressure ever!  So strong, we couldn't use it as it blew our hose apart :(

*sigh*.... so pretty, just love this canal...

 We stopped off at Cheddleton, lunching at the Boat Inn (and very nice it was too, great wee pub!).  James, this next lot of pictures is especially for you :)

Oooooo.....looook...... TRAINS!!

Lots of trains.......

The beautifully restored Cheddleton Station - with trains...

Name that gate...

 We stopped for our last night at the Flint Mill at Cheddleton, which still wasn't open unfortunately, and yesterday came back down the staircase locks to Etruria Junction.  

The Flint Mill at Cheddleton

 Today we're off to Festival Park marina where Quaintrelle will spend a week with other boats, Mike will do a few days work at Grantham, and I'm going to see my mum, get my hair done, see the dentist.  Meanwhile, for James, a couple more trains...