GREAT HAYWOOD - NEW MILLS
12th - 19th JULY 2003
7 Days, 79 Miles, 47 Locks
Day |
Miles |
Locks |
From |
To |
1 |
6 |
3 |
Great Haywood |
Bridge 85, Sandon |
2 |
13 |
15 |
Bridge 85, Sandon |
Festival Park Marina, Eturia |
3 |
8 |
8 |
Festival Park Marina, Eturia |
Endon Bank (Caldon Canal) |
4 |
15 |
8 |
Endon Bank (Caldon Canal) |
Westport Lake |
5 |
12 |
0 |
Westport Lake |
Bridge 61, Buglawton |
6 |
8 |
13 |
Bridge 61, Buglawton |
Bollington |
7 |
17 |
0 |
Bollington |
Forest Vale |
8 |
|
|
Forest Vale |
New Mills |
|
79 |
47 |
|
|
Day 1 (Saturday):
Since we were doing the trip one way only, the first task was to
drive up to New Mills in the Peak District and drop off our car,
to be positioned ready for the end of our canal trip. From New Mills
we went by mini-bus to the Anglo Welsh depot in Great Haywood.
The narrow boat “BURSTON”, a 48 ft four-berth was
waiting for us at Great Haywood, with engine running!
nb BURSTON at Great Heywood
We soon had all our gear on board and changed in to shorts and T-shirts
as the weather was really quite warm. We were given a 10-minute explanation
of the systems by Ken of Anglo Welsh, and then he accompanied us to
the first lock, Hoo Mill Lock, a mile or so northwards along the Trent
& Mersey canal.
Hoo Mill Lock
It takes a while to get the hang of steering the narrow boat. First
of all you tend to make too exaggerated swings with the tiller, when
only slight movement is required. Secondly, you have to get used to
the fact that the boat pivots in the middle, and if the front end
goes right the rear end also goes left! Thirdly, you soon learn that
if you go into neutral and stop the propellor, it becomes very difficult
to control the front end of the boat. And trying to go backwards.......
well!! After Hoo Mill Lock we chugged through Weston village, where
we used to live years ago, and on to Salt. Sandon Lock was soon upon
us, and after that we decided to tie up for the evening by Bridge
85, with a fine view of Sandon Hall.
Moored near Bridge 85
Day 2 (Sunday):
We had invited Ann, Rog and Thomas to join us on the Monday to do
the Caldon Canal, so on day 2 we had to get as far as Etruria to be
ready to meet them. Leaving Bridge 85 we travelled north to Aston
Lock, near Aston-by-Stone, and then on to the Stone flight of 4 locks.
The area gets quite built up after Yard Lock, where there is a small
boatyard and the old Joules Brewery building. Leaving the area through
the Newcastle Road Lock, we journeyed on to the next locks, the Meaford
Flight, south of Barlaston. By early evening we had reached the Festival
Park Marina at Etruria, where we moored for the night. This is a really
nice area with a Toby Carvery and plenty of facilities required by
boaters.
Day 3 (Monday) Caldon Canal to Endon Bank
Ann , Rog and Thomas turned up at the Festival Park Marina early in
the morning, and we were soon on our way towards the Caldon Canal.
The entrance to the Caldon splits off from the Trent & Mersey
Canal below Etruria, and goes past a statue of James Brindley, the
builder of the Trent & Mersey.
James Brindley
We soon reached the Etruria Staircase locks, two locks together
and the only staircase lock in North Staffordshire. Fortunately
we had read enough beforehand to know that the top lock has to
be filled up before you enter the bottom lock, so there is sufficient
water to lift the boat up in to the top lock. Sue was pleased
to have the additional help on the windlass from Rog and Thomas
to get us through these locks, whilst Ann watched proceedings
from the front of the boat having a dicky knee! We were soon through
Planet Lock and cruising along a very pleasant area adjacent to
Hanley Park. This was followed by a derelict area of factories
and warehouses – it seemed strange to see such magnificent
buildings in such a state of repair, as in the South East of England
they would be snapped up for “conversions”. But the
economies of the Pottery Towns must be poor, and there is obviously
no demand yet for these old areas.
Rog, Ann, Thomas, Mick & Sue
Rog and I had to swing in to action at the lock to save 4 ducklings
that had been swept over the weir, much to the alarm of the mother
duck who was quacking for all her might nearby. Shoes and socks
off, we waded into the canal and managed to catch the four errant
ducklings and reunite them with the mother duck. The shot off
up the cut, never to go near the weir again (hopefully!).We stopped
at Milton for lunch in a nearby pub, and Rog left us to cycle
back to pick up the car. He was to reposition it at Endon Bank,
and then come down the canal to the Stockton Brook locks. We moored
up for the night at Endon Bank, and Ann, Rog and Thomas left having
had a fine day!
Day 4 (Tuesday):
We wanted to go on the Caldon Canal to Froghall, but decided that
there were too many locks and it was too far, so we elected to take
the Leek Branch as far as Leek Tunnel. This went through very pretty
countryside and had the advantage if their being no locks. The area
around Leek Tunnel was particularly “pastoral”, and could
have been a scene from a Constable painting.
Sue at Leek Tunnel
Could be Constable
country!
After winding the other side of Leek Tunnel, we returned from whence
we had come along the Caldon Canal, passed Etruria, and moored for
the night by Westport Lake. It was a really hot day and we were
both looking forward to a shower. Unfortunately the water pump tripped
the fuse box after Sue had had a shower, and we were unable to sort
the problem. We called the Anglo Welsh service engineer and he came
out to fix it early the next day. Since I could not have a shower
I opted for a walk along the canal bank to the Pack Horse Inn in
Longton for a cooling pint!
Day 5 (Wednesday):
A short distance north of Westport Lake was the Harecastle Tunnel,
2,926 yards long. There were at one time three Harecastle Tunnels.
The first was built by James Brindley in 1777 after 11 years work.
Since there was no tow path trough this narrow tunnel, the boatees
had to “leg it” on the ceiling of the tunnel whilst
the horses were led over the hill to the other side. Thomas Telford
completed a second tunnel in 1827 to ease the bottleneck, and it
is this one that is in use today. Originally it had a tow path,
but this has been removed to make the tunnel wide.
Harecastle Tunnel
Inside the tunnel
The Harecastle Tunnel is “one-way”, and boats go through
in convoys. Upon entering the tunnel the wooden doors are closed
behind you, to help with the ventilation fans, and you are immediately
engulfed by the blackness and the noise of the fans. The only way
of seeing where you are is by the halo of light cast by the headlight
on the boat on the ceiling of the tunnel. It is cool and dank inside,
and for the first 500 yards or so it is difficult to steer the boat
in a straight line. You bounce from one wall to the opposite wall
in an alarming manner. After a while you get used to it, and manage
to keep the boat reasonably straight. It take 45 minutes to go through,
and half way there the speck of light that is the exit seems miles
away! The other striking feature of the tunnel is the colour of
the water at the other end – a murky tomato soup colour –
a result of the ironstone strata leaching out.
Exit of Harecastle Tunnel
After leaving the tunnel we soon reached Kidsgrove, and took the
left hand channel of the Macclesfield Canal, which then swings to
the right over the Trent & Mersey Canal over the Poole Aqueduct.
From the Kidsgrove Junction, Marple is some 28 miles and 13 locks.
Left turn takes you over the aqueduct
on to the Macclesfield Canal
Looking down from the aqueduct at the locks on the Trent & Mersey
Canal below.
Snake bridge near Congleton
We moored for the night at Bridge 61, near Buglawton, and had
dinner at the nearby Robin Hood pub. Here we got talking to another
boatee, Lee on Mr Dylan, who was a builder who lives on his boat
travelling the country. When he runs out of money he stops for a
couple of months to work. What a lifestyle!
Day 6 (Thursday)
The weather on Thursday was cooler and it was raining a bit, which
was good really as we had 13 locks to pass that day including the
12 locks of the Bosely Flight. The locks took most of the morning,
and in the afternoon we were cruising through very pleasant open
countryside with lots of wild life, including numerous herons.We
moored south of Bollington on Thursday evening.
Day 7 (Friday)
We continued northwards on Friday through pleasant countryside,
and past the Stately pile that is “Ramsdell Hall” ….
Sights you would not see from the road. We were soon at Marple Junction,
where we were greeted by a man walking along the tow path eating
Fish & Chips. This was too much. We moored up immediately and
Sue went off in search of the Chippy.
Sue at Marple
Tunnel to Marple Locks
Looking down the Marple Flight
Samuel Oldknow's warehouse
After that we went in to the town, and had a look at the locks
on the branch of the canal going to Manchester. From Marple Junction
we went down the Peak Forrest Canal as far as Whaley Bridge. Not
being impressed at all with Whaley Bridge, we returned to Forrest
Vale to moor for the evening.
New Mills Marina
End of our first trip
We returned the boat at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, and spent the
rest of the day driving around the Peak District exploring.
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