Monday 8th May - Bosley Top Lock to Bosley Bottom Lock
This morning we woke to heavy rain, we had been watching the forecast and were expecting it, so we wore wet weather gear.
We left our mooring at 7.45am and moved down to the water point to fill up with water. The locks were due to be unlocked at 8.30, so we were in plenty of time.
This is one of the restored mile posts on the Macclesfield canal. During the mid 1980’s The Macclesfield Canal Society restored the milestones along the whole course of the canal. The society normally regards them as unique as they know of no other canal that has stone mile markers of these size and quality. The Macclesfield’s very stout stones had mostly been buried during the second world war as a precaution against enemy soldiers using them to find their way! All but three stones were dug up and re-erected. The three could not be found so they were replaced with new stones cut from Kerridge Hill.
This is one of the side ponds located beside each of the twelve locks. The side ponds have been out of use for their intended purpose for very many years.
They are a water saving device. A lock is emptied first into the side pond and when refilled this same water is the first to be poured back into the lock, thereby reducing the volume taken off the upper pound. A Macclesfield Canal side pond could probably save more than 40% of each lockful.
As we got half way down the flight we started meeting boats coming up the flight of locks. This is nbRuncorn with Roger and Jean we met yesterday.
Another boat coming up, but he was unsure what to do as I was coming towards him and eventually came out of the lock on the wrong side and forced me across into the shallow water on my left. I was not happy and reminded him he should pass boats on his left, at which he insisted I was wrong and he was right! Grrr!
Coming down to the last lock of the day, the weather had been awful all the way down and the camera lens had got misty, still a pleasant effect! Once out of the locks we moored up before the aqueduct, lit the fire and changed, showered and warmed up for the rest of the day.
During a dry moment, Toby and I walked across the aqueduct over the River Dane, built around 1830 it is 45ft high with one semi-circular arch with a span of 35ft.
1 mile, 12 locks, 1hr 30mins
Tuesday 9th May - Bosley Bottom Lock to Ramsdell Hall Moorings
Although a grey morning, it was dry and not too cold, in the distance is Bosley Cloud, with cloud over the top. We set off for a country mooring with a stop in Congleton to top up supplies.
In 1845 the North Staffordshire Railway Company came into existence and Congleton obtained a connection with Manchester and Macclesfield. The North Rode Viaduct, noted for its beautiful masonry, was completed in 1849 and the line between Congleton and Macclesfield was opened. The viaduct has a magnificent span of 20 arches and looks stunning.
This was a rather daunting sight, there are three bridges here, all on bends but the scaffolding appears to hide them from view and it was only at the last minute you could see your way through!
We moored up at Congleton Wharf and walked the 20 minutes or so down hill into Congleton. This is the Town Hall, an impressive, imposing Victorian Gothic style building at the heart of Congleton town centre. The town was delightful and we were very happy we had made time to stop and explore it.
The aqueduct which carries the canal over Canal Street is very similar to the one in Nantwich, designed by Thomas Telford and built in 1831
We continued out of Congleton and moored up at Ramsdell Hall Moorings. We went for a walk to find Little Moreton Hall, but our way was hindered by a field of frisky young cows, and as the Hall was closed we decided to return to the boat. In the distance is Mow Cop and the building which looks like a derelict castle is Mow Castle. It was built as a summerhouse in 1754 for Randle Wilbraham I of Rode Hall. It was built to look like part of a castle of a bygone era, and would have enhanced the view of the newly constructed Rode Hall some 3 miles away on the Cheshire side of the hill.
These ornate railings are known as Ramsdell Hall railings because when the canal was built the route was shortened by coming in front of Ramsdell Hall. To compensate the owners these railings were built rather than a hedge so the view from the hall wasn’t interrupted. They have since been restored by the Macclesfield Canal Society.
Ramsdell Hall is a country house in the parish of Odd Rode in Cheshire, England, overlooking the Macclesfield Canal. It was built in two phases during the 18th century, and is still in private ownership. Built in about 1750, the house, inevitably, has its ghost. Legend has it that in its early days, a duel was fought on one of the lawns between two young men who were competing for the hand of the owner's daughter. She dashed out of the house to try to prevent them from fighting, and foolishly ran in front and was killed by a lunging rapier!
The very same cows we met on our walk had made their way up to the canal by night fall. Toby was not impressed!
7.25 miles, 0 locks, 3hrs 12mins
Wednesday 10th May - Ramsdell Hall Railings Moorings to Westport Lake Moorings
Very exciting day, we are going through the Harecastle Tunnel from north to south - we have only ever done it once this way before, so really looking forward to it!
We left our mooring and passed by Sherborne Wharf at Scholar Green. 10 yers ago we hired our first ever boat together - nbRuby Tuesday from Claymore Holidays at Preston Brook. It was March, snow still on the ground and bitterly cold, but we loved it and was the start of our narrowboating adventures. We then left the Macclesfield Canal and joined the Trent and Mersey Canal.
We cruised gently down to the mouth of the tunnel and joined a queue of three other boats, we breasted up against the third one and settled down to wait until we were given the go ahead. The tunnel is 8,778 feet or 2,676 metres long and the roof is very low in some places. It is one way working and can take anything from 35 - 60 minutes to complete.
This is the boat we have been waiting for, now each of the four boats can begin their journey through the tunnel at 2 minute intervals. It was agreed that we would go third through the tunnel as we were on the outside of their boat. The orange colour of the water is due to iron oxide seeping from the Brindley tunnel (this is similar to Worsley where the iron oxide from the Duke of Bridgwater's mines seeps into the canal).
Taken inside the tunnel, the light behind me is the headlamp of the boat behind us. There is plenty of space either side of the boat so long as you stay in the middle of the tunnel which can be difficult at times.
We left the tunnel along with the boat behind us, and saw a queue of boats waiting to go through the other way. Once at Westport Lake we moored up for the day and the heavens opened and it rained for the rest of the afternoon!
6 miles, 1 lock, 1 tunnel, 2hrs 48mins - Harecastle Tunnel 38mins 29secs
Thursday 11th May - Westport Lake to Barlaston
We set off from Westport Lake and passed several pottery buildings with their bottle kilns left to go to ruin, which seems such a shame. This bottle kiln was at the former Price and Kensington Teapot Works.
Steelite International is the modern day face of pottery in Stoke today. It is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of award winning tabletop and buffet solutions for the hospitality industry. It produces over 500,000 pieces of tableware every week - 140,000 of those are cups!
Further down the canal is Middleport Pottery, built by Burgess and Leigh in the late nineteenth century. The Grade II* listed Pottery is the UK’s last working Victorian potbank in continuous production. After 130 years, Middleport Pottery remains home to world-famous ‘Burleigh’ pottery. Through public and private funding, Middleport Pottery was saved from closure and underwent substantial remodelling and renovation, transforming it into a visitor attraction and centre for creative businesses. The Narrowboat Dane was built in 1946 by the Mersey Weaver and Ship Canal Carrying Company, just north of Middleport Pottery on the Trent and Mersey Canal. The boat transported raw material from Cornwall to Middleport, and continued to carry finished Burleigh ware to Liverpool where it was exported around the world.
This is the site of the Burslem Branch Canal, a 600 metre long arm of the Trent & Mersey Canal in Stoke-on-Trent. It was opened in 1805 but was closed by a major breach in 1961. There are plans to reopen the canal and construct a new marina with recreational facilities.
Our first lock of the day, at Etruria, a very deep lock and we were following another boat, so it all took a bit of time. 5 locks in total through Stoke.
More goslings, seemed quite happy to have their photo taken!
A mile post on the Trent and Mersey Canal, the contract to cast these distinctive mileposts was won by the local foundry in Stone.
An interesting photo showing the original course of the canal against the new railway line, in many cases the railways were built close to the route of the canal as most of the work was already done.
Our final lock of the day, Trentham Lock, I helped the boat ahead of us down, but there was a boat ahead of them that had got stuck on rocks below the waterline. The second boat tied a rope to their stern, I let down a lock of water and the boat managed to pull the stuck boat off the rocks. All in a good days work!
We found a quiet mooring just outside Barlaston and moored for the night. The pub there, called ‘The Plume of Feathers’ is owned by Neil Morrisey and sells his own range of beers.
8.25 miles, 6 locks, 4hrs 54mins
Friday 12th May - Barlaston to Stone
Today promises to be better weather wise, so we prepared the boat ready to move on at 9am.
Barlaston used to have a busy boatbuilding yard, and this is the remains. There is a row of cottages that were built for the workforce of the boatyard and the larger house was lived in by the boatyard owners.
Another snake bridge, moving the towpath across the canal to the other side, beautiful structure.
Our first set of lock is at Meaford, 4 locks now, but originally it was 1 lock and a staircase of 3. This is the original course of the canal down to the staircase of locks. The canal was completed in 1777, and alterations were made before 1800, so it must be around 224 years since this route has been disused.
Super shot of Ella coming through a bridge hole.
Toby and I worked the last 3 locks down into Stone, at the first lock the grass was so long you could only see Toby’s head. He is so good and waits patiently for me to work the lock, watching as the boat comes into the lock. I had to make sure I didn’t forget to take him with me!
The original Joule’s Brewery in Stone, dates back to 1780, but it was taken over by Bass Charrington in 1970 and production ceased 4 years later. The fourth Brewery is currently in Market Drayton and produces all the Joule’s beers.
Crown Wharf, the flagship Brewery Tap stands in the shadow of the original Joule's Brewery on Crown Street, Stone. Part of the Crown Wharf site sits on the original Breweries Dirties Yard and the canal-side location was owned by the Brewery back in the 70s but never developed. This is the company’s very first new build tap room.
We moored up above Star Lock and spent a quiet afternoon exploring the new pub and shopping in the town.
3.5 miles, 7 locks, 2hr 30mins
Saturday 13th May - Stone
We have decided to spend another night here, a pleasant mooring and a good place to sort out a few things.
This is a statue of Christina Collins. Christina Collins was travelling by narrowboat from Liverpool to London. It is important to remember that some passengers were carried by canal boats as it was cheaper than travelling by coach. She passed through Stone on the journey and raised concerns about her safety to the lock keeper at Aston. Her body was found on 17th June 1839 at Rugeley. Three of the four bargemen were charged with her murder. All three were sentenced to be hanged. However one of the men was reprieved at the last minute and was sentenced to be transported to Australia instead. Today, to commemorate Christina passing through Stone, there is a wooden sculpture named after her by the bridge below boat yard lock. The story of her murder also inspired an Inspector Morse mystery by Colin Dexter entitled “The Wench is Dead”.
Sunday 14th May - Stone to Great Haywood
When we woke this morning there was mist rising from the canal, but gradually the sun broke through and it turned into a lovely warm sunny day. We stopped to put water on and then made our way gently towards Great Haywood.
We have seen many lambs, ducklings and goslings, but these were the first calves, the one crossing the bridge is so tiny!
A lovely cruise today, weather glorious, no wind, more boats moving and a very pretty part of the canal. We are experiencing problems uploading photos today, so will publish what I have and add in more photos next time.
9.75 miles, 5 locks, 4hrs 24mins
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