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This was the first Summer of our "years between boats", so we
were back to hiring. We decided to go to a part of the country we'd never been
to in the old boat, and chose to hire from a firm called Dyecraft at Kent Green
on the Macclesfield. Later, after its proprietor, Frank Dye, retired, it became
Heritage Narrowboats and is now an out-station of Birmingham-based Sherborne
Wharf. We planned to do the Four Counties Ring, with side-trips up the Caldon
and the northern end of the Shroppie. The boat we had this time was The
Roaches.
Wendy & I were joined by Ian (a colleague and one of our
former partners in the old boat) Another colleague called Peter, who'd done a
fair bit of boating with us, had planned to come with us, but complications at
work (they were relocating into a new building) meant that he could only join
us for part of the time
SATURDAY 13th AUGUST |
Mike, Wendy, Ian
Kent Green to Hanley |
The Roaches |
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Mow Cop |
We had an almost uneventful journey from London. From
Kidsgrove Station, Ian took all the luggage to the boatyard then went for a
walk up Mow Cop while Wendy & I had breakfast in Kidsgrove & then
struggled with poor shops there. A friendly chap in The Harecastle said
that Kidsgrove wasn't a town but "an S-bend with fish & chip shops",
a description only slightly unkind. Once we got to the boatyard and met
the proprietor, Frank Dye, Wendy thought that next time we could rely on him to
order stuff for us from the local co-op, as he had offered (So, in retrospect,
why didn't we, then?).
Harding's Wood junction |
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Harecastle tunnel |
The boat was pleasant, with plenty of storage space and
generally good design. We set off at 16:13, Frank seeing us out of the
boatyard to check that we really did know what we were doing, and headed South
to Hall Green stop lock and Harding's Wood junction, where we joined the Trent
& Mersey. Harecastle tunnel was immensely messy and was full of fumes. At
Etruria junction we turned onto the Caldon Canal and ended the day at 20:44 on
a mooring in Hanley Park. The day's anglers seemed friendly. We saw three voles
and lots of pleasant plant-life, especially rowan berries. We saw hotel boats
Snipe & Taurus.
Etruria junction |
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Bedford staircase |
DAY'S RUN : 9.3 miles, 4 locks in 4 hrs 31
min
SUNDAY 14th AUGUST |
Mike, Wendy, Ian
Hanley to Froghall & Consall
Forge |
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The Holly Bush Inn |
Heading north from Hanley |
I got up early & started solo at 07:05. It was hot
& sunny all day and the Caldon was very beautiful. The morning was
enlivened by a flotilla of army rowers - our engine was a lot quieter than
their NCOs! At Park Lane wharf, Endon we took on water, then continued to
The Hollybush at Denford for some very disappointing beer (Ind Coope
Burton). The run from there into Froghall is very narrow in places, only a
single boat's width, but the section on the River Churnet made quite a change.
Oak Meadow Ford lock |
On the Churnet |
Near Froghall |
Cherry Eye bridge
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Froghall tunnel |
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We stopped before Froghall tunnel, because the boat was too
tall to fit through, for some sight-seeing around Froghall Basin (beyond the
tunnel), then winded.
Later we made our way back to The Black Lion at
Consall Forge, where we moored with our friends John & Hilda Bowles on nb
Titania. Dinner was eaten in the well-deck, then Ian & I went to the
pub with John: a Free House serving Pedigree (until it ran out). We sighted
several "real" boats: not only Titania, but Hyperion tripping
behind a horse, a BCN tug beyond the tunnel at Froghall and hotel boats
Mabel & Forget-me-not.
DAY'S RUN : 17.9 miles, 15 locks in 9 hrs 35
min
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