Post 18 - Harecastle tunnel

Having made our slow meandering way along the Trent and Mersey canal through Stoke we came to the 2926 yards long Harecastle tunnel, built to transport coal to the pottery kilns. This is the last of three that used to exist, built by Telford and now only allowing one way traffic at a time for safety. So, each end of the tunnel is looked after by a tunnel keeper to whom one introduces oneself upon arrival. The keeper gives clear instructions for safe use of the tunnel and what to do in an emergency.

We had to wait as three boats were coming through from the north end so to fill our time in a useful manner we filled up the water tank using the tap on the right side of the entrance. 

As there are no air shafts in the tunnel, the entrance at the south end is closed and a fan is turned on to extract the fumes from the engine's exhausts after the boats have begun there voyage through the dark. There is a quarter circle hanging over the right hand side of the entrance held by the three chains you can see in the picture. If your boat and all that is on the roof can pass under this without touching it you will be able to pass safely through the tunnel.

South tunnel entrance with 3 chains without the quarter circle to check boats height. Pic from bing.com

Post 17 - Stone to Stoke

Leaving Stone on a pleasantly warm morning we left rising gently through Meaford's four locks. We hadn't worked any locks for a few days as we had been moored. When we had it just highlights the difference between living on land and living on water. Having found a mooring I realised it would be a while till we could get water and diesel again, so I decided to do this whilst in Stone. The water point and the chandlery were two locks behind us. So we sailed up the canal to a winding hole and turned around.

To return to our mooring it would mean then going down Stone's four locks turning at the bottom lock, getting water and diesel and back through the same four locks. This little plaque was situated between the first and second lock, which I photographed whilst waiting to go through. It has a very dreadful story of the death of Christina Collins who was murdered on the canal.

Altogether a two mile round trip. We got back to our mooring just under four hours later and ready for lunch. Don't get me wrong it was enjoyable and the day was lovely but it shows that nothing is fast on the cut. I keep thinking how hard the canal folk of old must have worked to make a living on their narrowboats! It couldn't have been an easy life.

We moored overnight at Etruria just after the entrance to the Caldon canal passing by a very cheerful family having a party at the end of their garden by the waterside. There is a pub near the mooring called the Holy Inadequate. What a lovely name for a hostelry I thought so we decided to have a walk to it. Needless to say my sense of direction was awry and I set us off in the wrong direction. Nice pub though and a good range of ales.

The next morning we travelled through the potteries area on a windy day and a forbidding sky heralding rain to come. It is a really winding and at times difficult piece of canal to sail. Blind bends and channels in part narrowed by vegetation or other moored boats didn't make it my favourite stretch. At one bridge that I couldn't see oncoming boats I gave the horn two long loud blasts. just as I went through another boat was nearly upon me. Fortunately we both stopped and passed safely. The chap said he hadn't heard the horn. You really do have to keep your wits about you and be ready for the unexpected especially on difficult stretches of the canal.

I met a volunteer on part of the canal and he said the route was so meandering because various companies paid a share in the creation of the canal  and thus each expected it to pass their works and take their goods for distribution.

Post 16 - A poor sense of direction

As I sit and write this current post Marian and I have decided to moor for the day. We arrived in Nantwich yesterday in the rain in the afternoon but the weather is worse today. Outside the wind is whooshing through the trees and they are bending and flailing their leaves and branches as if in an autumn gale. The rain hasn't stopped and runs between drizzling to hard, hammering with persistence its presence on the top of the boat. As if there wasn't enough water she has gone swimming at the local pool. I did suggest the canal as it was cheaper but it only raised a disdainful look.

Before leaving Stone we decided to go for a walk as we often do. One of the things that we agreed when buying a boat was that not only was it a gentle way of life, generally, but we could use the lifestyle to explore the land we live in. Much of which we are  ignorant of. Finding footpaths and visiting villages and towns to discover something about our country is something that gives us great pleasure. It also enables us to get some physical exercise on a regular basis.

I looked on line to see if there were any suggestions for walks locally and found this little map. There was a three mile walk suggested and it meant us just walking to Meaford locks and turning right.

My sense of direction has never been very good and there are four locks. The map doesn't say which lock we turn off so I assumed it was the last one. Needless to say it wasn't and not being able to find the turning we carried on up the towpath. The short story was that we ended up walking a further five miles before we came to the original path we were initially searching for.

The journey round the fields and outskirts was delightful but Marian did mention my poor navigational skills again. Three miles became eight and when we arrived back in the town centre in the mid afternoon we were a trifle weary. Now the day before Exeter Chiefs had won the rugby premiership title and I thought I would get a paper to read and relish the team we support's victory. Not one shop had a paper that we could get to read about them. Stone must have some avid newspaper readers living there!

But what an outstanding performance from the team who only arrived in the premiership seven years ago. We were there at Bristol watching them when they beat Bristol to gain status in the top flight and although we couldn't be at Twickenham this time to see how far they've ascended we listened on the radio. I was peeling some vegetables for dinner and showed my shaking hands to Marian when the match was in extra time . Crazy that I was so anxious and caught up in the sporting moment. But sport can get you like that!