Through Five Towns

Monday, 26 October 2009 17:30

Today, Stoke on Trent (actually made up of 6 towns) locks take us down

Before we set off this lady and her boat arrived!

Maisie also had Nb Global Spirit built by Bath Narrowboats on a Colecraft shell and came down via the Aston, Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals. We all had a natter and then we set off, followed by Gypsy Rover, towards Stoke. Arnold Bennet (son of Stoke) is responsible for the name "Five Towns".

Longport Wharf had a damaging fire in June

Stoke on Trent Narrowboats, on the wharf, was one boat builder we visited before making our mind up about our builder. They seem to have plenty of boats on the hard; some are for sale I am sure.

We were now in what used to be called "The Potteries". Sadly, many have closed or moved from the canal; Burleigh and Middleport still remain by the canal in listed buildings.

Middleport Pottery from the Trent and Mersey

Where once the pottery and steel industries thrived along the canal, it is now wasteland. Over the last few years, the "Canal Corridor Enhancement Scheme" has cleaned up the following sections. However, graffiti thrives, despite the iron way markers and good towpath.

Festival Marina at Etruria, home of a Black Prince hire fleet

Etruria is the junction with the Caldon Canal, just before Stoke Top Lock. Here we took a quick detour onto the Caldon to fill up with water opposite the Statue of James Brindley - he of the first Harecastle Tunnel and Engineer of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

James Brindley watches over the services and moorings

We reversed back to wait to go down Stoke Top Lock (40)

A quick pictorial tour of the rest of Stoke five locks:

Johnson's Lock (39)

The Etruscan Bone and Flint Mill beside Johnson's Lock

Looking back to Twyford Lock (38)

The bridge after Twyford Lock was very low and we only just squeezed under - our chimney was millimetres from the bottom of the bridge. It was a good job we were going down, as the bridge is higher on the left. The old bottle kilns have been preserved but look rather incongruous amongst the new development.

Cockshutts Lock 37

Waiting for Stoke Bottom Lock (36)

I have not seen this sign before - is it "overkill"?

The canal below Stoke Bottom Lock has had a lot of work in recent years. When we last came through, the works were still going on and there was a temporary realignment of the canal through a prefabricated tunnel. This was all finished now - but the journey will continue soon!