Autherley Junction - and back to base.

As expected, "Starcross" was safe and well when we returned to Penkridge after a week back at work to complete the journey home to Norbury Junction. Firstly though we had an extreme example of the complications caused by bringing the car! After unloading in the Boat Inn's car park we moved the car to a nearby residential road where it would not be in anyone's way for a few hours. We then took Starcross up through the locks between Penkridge and Gailey after which Hilary cycled back to Penkridge and moved the car to Brewood, our intended overnight stop, before cycling back to meet me at Brinsford! However, it all went to plan and we both arrived within 15 minutes or so of the agreed time

The Staffs & Worcs Canal is very different to our "home" Shropshire Union. Its much older for a start, being completed 60 years earlier. The locks come singly, rather than in flights and the bridges are smaller and narrower, particularly those at the foot of the locks which are only just large enough for a boat.

The bridge at Otherton lock (above) being a good example.

Gailey top lock, which marks the start of the summit level of the Staffs & Worcs is home to one of the well-known features of the waterways - the circular tower lock cottage, now operating as a shop.

There are moorings here, either side of the lock but the as the bridge in the foreground carries the A5 trunk road its not exactly peaceful roundabouts. Passing Calf Heath Marina I kept a sharp look out for Wandrin' Bark, "Captain Ahab's" narrowboat but I couldn't spot it and learnt later from his blog that it would have been away on its own adventures at the time.

Its funny how on a long journey, by road, rail or canal, the act of reaching a familiar landmark can make you feel at home - even though you may still have many miles to go. Autherley Junction, the southern end of the Shroppie, has that effect on me and as we turned off the Staffs & Worcester under the familiar and graceful bridge that carries the towpath over the junction I knew our trip was coming to an end.

Bridge 1 on the Shropshire Union - compare this with Otherton Lock bridge (above)!

Immediately under the bridge is the Shroppie's first lock - a diminutive stop lock inserted on the insistence of the Staffs & Worcs company to minimise the loss of water to the upstart Birmingham & Liverpool Junction, as it then was. The B&LJ (and today's "Shropshire Union Main Line") is unusual in that it doesn't have a summit level: the lock at Autherely being the first in a series of 66 that take the canal down to sea level at Ellesmere Port.

We were making such good progress that we decided not to stop at Brewood after all, but carry on to Wheaton Aston where we were lucky to find the last Starcross-sized space on the visitor moorings opposite Turner's Garage

As we'd had a long day and our holiday was nearly over we celebrated with a meal out at the Hartley Arms (above) although, to be honest, I've had better pub food.

Penkridge

Starcross on an earlier visit to Penkridge

Until such time as I can give up work and devote more of my time to Starcross and the cut I can only undertake longer trips in stages, travelling for a week, or even a weekend, at a time and leaving the boat to return to work in-between. This means looking for a "safe" place to leave Starcross for a week or more. Marinas are one option - and I have used them - but I resent paying well over the odds to occupy a berth that the owners are almost certainly already charging an absent boater for. So I'm always on the lookout for safe towpath moorings. Safety isn't the only consideration of course - there's also access. Even if I do choose to use the car to get to the boat there's still the problem of getting back to pick it up, so public transport access is important. It also helps if the chosen spot has easy access to shops to enable me to stock up on needed items rather than carrying them all the way from home.

So, when I was looking for somewhere to leave Starcross in between Stone, on the Trent & Mersey and Norbury Junction, on the Shropshire Union, Penkridge was the obvious choice. The town has a station, served by frequent trains from Birmingham and Crewe, equally frequent buses to Stafford, Wolverhampton and Cannock, a large Co-Op supermarket (in the main street - not "out of town") as well as an excellent bakers shop. On the canal, there's a sanitary station at the town lock and, below the lock, some excellent, unrestricted, moorings that are overlooked on both sides (for security) and even have a couple of (legally) permanently moored craft to create a "presence".

Last but not least, the town has some excellent pubs, even though the inn sign on "The Boat" is a little optimistic as to the size of vessel one can expect to encounter on the Staffs & Worcs. Canal!

So I was quite happy to leave Starcross here for a week knowing she'd be waiting safely for me on my return, which she was.

Blue and Yellow

I thought that his version of British Waterways' corporate identity was now only found on "historic" boats and was surprised to see it on this one apparently involved in the repair/restoration of one of the double locks on the Red Bull flight. So surprised, in fact, that I neglected to make a note of its name.

Something Brewing in Stone

Having eventually secured a mooring spot on the very outskirts of Stone we walked back into the town for a meal and a few beers.

Throughout its history, Stone has been a market town, a centre for the coaching trade and, most famously, a brewing town. Best-known of the town's many breweries was probably Joules, established in 1780 and brewing continuously in the town for 194 years until it was closed by Bass Charrington, who had taken over the company in 1970.

Before its take-over and closure the company had developed a sizeable business throughout the north midlands and I well remember its distinctive green and gold signboards decorating many a roadside public house on journeys through the area at that time, even though I was too young to actually sample the product.

The brewery was canalside with an impressive frontage (or, really a "backage!) alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal and an even more imposing front overlooking one of the town's main streets.

After the brewery closed a replica version of the beer was brewed by Bass in Burton on Trent for a few years, but it wasn't the same and it soon vanished as the tide of national brews that was a feature of the 1970s swept through the land.

But, just as there are enthusiasts for old boats and carrying companies there are enthusiasts for old beers and breweries and it looks as though Joules Brewery will rise again - although this time on the Shropshire Union! A new "Joules Brewery" company plans to build a brewery in Market Drayton and recreate the former glories of its namesake. It already has some pubs - in canalside towns and villages such as Leek and Cheswardine and, if you fancy the job is advertising for tenants!

So far, there don't appear to be any plans for a pub in Stone itself, but in the meantime I can heartily recommend the excellent Royal Exchange in Radford Street a tied house of the equally excellent Titanic Brewery.

Stoke-on-Trent

Heading south from Harecastle you're soon in Stoke. The city has a mixed reputation with boaters and those who prefer rural moorings and pretty views are usually quite vocal in their condemnations and attempt to get through the place as quickly as they can.

I used to be in the other camp. To me, the Trent & Mersey through Stoke was second only to the BCN (Birmingham Canal Navigations) for what is politely called "industrial archaeology" or, "grot", as we used to term it. Back in 1970s the canal passed through a thriving industrial landscape, most spectacularly running right through the middle of the steelworks at Shelton and passing a never ending series of potteries and factories. These days its a very sanitized environment and although nothing like Birmingham's waterfront - or even Manchester's - modern residential buildings predominate which makes it look just a little bit more like "everywhere else". Apart from Middleport Pottery, rescued from the receivers in 1999 and

still a going concern, there is very little of historic interest.

Stoke Locks bring some relief. The first time I negotiated these, back in 1970, was during a great thunderstorm when we were under instruction to bring a borrowed boat back to Stoke Boat Club for the night "at all costs". Having got soaked and, frankly, frightened stiff doing so, surprise was expressed that we intended to sleep on board. "Oh, If we'd known that, you could have kept it out....."

This time, the passage of the flight was undertaken in brilliant sunshine, although the five locks took us just an hour due to the number of other boats about. In Stoke itself (one of the "five towns" that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent) the canal has been moved twice in recent years. Once in the 1970s to accommodate a new ring road and again a few years ago to make way for the "improved" ring road - which saw the canal back on its original course, albeit underneath a huge flyover. We stopped under said flyover so that Martin could shoot off and do a bit of shopping in the town and were just about to untie when we were passed by another boat that we then proceeded to follow for the rest of the day all the way to Stone, where it promptly dropped into the last available mooring that was anywhere near the pubs!

Harecastle Tunnel

Following our trip up the Macclesfield Canal we decided to return to Norbury via the rest of the "Four" Counties Ring, which meant a passage through Harecastle Tunnel. Martin had joined us at Macclesfield and, after a night at Scholar Green, where we upset a local householder by daring to tie up at the bottom of his garden (!) we made an early start and got to the tunnel entrance by half-past-eight.

There are two tunnels at Harecastle, where the summit level of the Trent & Mersey Canal crosses the watershed that its name implies. One, built by Brindley and opened in 1777, has long been out of use and today all boats use Telford's "new" tunnel, opened in 1827.

A one-way system operates through the tunnel, with entrance controlled by tunnel keepers. On arrival, the keeper at the northern portal asked us to tie up as close to the entrance as possible as he was expecting four or five other boats: in the meantime we had to wait for four northbound boats, that were already in the tunnel, to come through.

As can be seen from the photo it's a tight turn into the tunnel from the top end of the waiting area, but I was pleased to be given a verbal "10 out of 10" for my manoeuvre into the tunnel mouth by the keeper. Unfortunately, seconds later, the chimney that I had carefully removed from its collar and placed on the cabin step for the passage fell over with a clatter and I had to stand on it quickly to prevent it rolling off the counter and into the water! Needless to say, this meant I lost concentration and the bows hit the tunnel wall - which no doubt led to an immediate downgrading of my score.

The rest of the passage was incident-free as the tunnel is straight and relatively easy to navigate, especially as you can be certain there will be be no oncoming boats. Towards the centre, subsidence has brought the roof down rather low (hence the removal of the chimney) and the steerer of a traditional stern boat has to stoop whilst steering until past the low section. Uniquely, as far as I am aware, Harecastle tunnel has a door across its southern portal to control the ventilation system and allow its use by powered craft. This is rather disconcerting as unlike other tunnels there is no sign of the exit from inside - instead you come across a "STOP" sign seemingly in the middle of the tunnel. As you approach the sign however, the door magically opens and reveals the southern exit and the canal beyond. Our passage of the 2,926 yard (2,676 metre) tunnel took just 33 minutes at an average speed of 3.04mph (including the bump on the way in!).

Southern portal of the Harecastle Tunnel, presumably rebuilt in 1954 when the ventilation door was installed.
I daresay that at the moment, with the Shropshire Union closed at Shebdon, many boats will be making an unexpected diversion along the Trent & Mersey and through Harecastle - and I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Shroppie Closed at Shebdon

Oh Dear! The Shroppie's closed at Shebdon because the embankment's sprung a leak! BW have drained the section and are rushing in 100 tons of puddle clay and say they'll have fixed it by next Wednesday!

That's OK for me. Starcross is safe at Norbury Junction and I wasn't thinking of going anywhere but it must be a worry for those with boats moored on the embankment and a pain for those hire boat companies whose customers are half-way round the "Four" Counties Ring and won't now be able to get back to base.

Maggot Dangling

Last Saturday's trip from Norbury to GnosallI has to be one of the slowest trips I've ever made! Its only a couple of miles, although if you are coming back as well you have to go on to High Onn to wind which is as far again and makes the round trip nearly 10 miles.

The trip got off to a slow start as Starcross was facing north and I had to reverse down to Norbury Wharf to turn. I've only started doing this since I got my new mooring spot nearer the wharf (previously I used to go a mile up to Grub Street and back to wind) and I'm just getting the hang of it - managing to avoid both lines of moored boats (one either side) and the bridge on the way.

The next obstacle was the other two lines of moored boats (visitor and permanent moorings) strung out along the start of Shelmore embankment; but these are "normal" hazards and it was only after they were passed that the fun began.

Apparently, one of this lot won fifth prize!

The National Angling Championships were being held that day - 690 anglers dangling their maggots throughout the Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey and Staffs. & Worcs. Canals and a large proportion of them lined the towpath all the way from Norbury Junction to Gnosall.

Slow boat and steering committee in Cowley cutting

I like to think I'm a considerate boater so it was "tickover" all the way and a sigh of relief after Gnosall,when the anglers disappeared and it was time to resume normal cruising speed - for about half-a-mile! At Cowley I caught up with a boat under the control of a four person "steering committee" proceeding at speeds varying from "slow" to "stopped" depending on which member was temporarily in charge. I followed them all the way to High Onn where by now it was well past lunch time. However, we were now back to maggot dangling which meant there was nowhere to stop so, after turning, it was back to the far side of bridge 26 before I could find anywhere to tie up and have lunch. Even here there wasn't anywhere to knock the mooring pins in properly and passing boats, glad to escape the lines of anglers at last, sped past pulling them out more than once!

But it was a lovely sunny day (a shame for the anglers who only seem truly happy when its raining) and there was plenty of space at my favourite mooring "between the bridges" back at Gnosall to sit in the sunshine for the afternoon, listening to the cricket (ouch!), and keeping an eye on service 481 crossing the bridge until it was reasonably time to go to the pub!

One of the two bridges at Gnosall. The 481 bus runs across four times an hour and the Navigation pub is on the left.

Canal Review - The Macclesfield

The Macclesfield Canal runs for 26.25 miles from Hall Green Junction, near Kidsgrove, where it joins the Hall Green branch of the Trent & Mersey to Marple Junction, where it meets the Peak Forest Canal. These days, the short section of the Hall Green Branch from Kidsgrove is generally regarded as part of the Macclesfield and the distance from Hall Green Junction to Marple is twenty-seven and three-quarter miles with thirteen locks.
Starcross navigated the canal in July as a diversion off the Four (Three)Counties Ring and, rather than give a blow-by-blow account of the trip I thought that for a change I would attempt a "canal review".

Hall Green stop lock - the official start of the Macclesfield Canal

Like the Shropshire Union, our home base, "the Macc" was built towards the end of the canal age, opening in 1831. There are similarities - the canal cuts across the countryside on embankments and through cuttings rather than following the contours as earlier navigations did. The locks, apart from the single stop lock at Hall Green are all together in a magnificent flight of twelve at Bosley and, like the Shroppie, the locks and bridges are of stone, rather than brick. But the Macclesfield doesn't quite have the scale and grandeur of the Shropshire Union: the embankments aren't quite as high or as long; the cuttings not as deep and the bridges not as high and wide, although the well-known "snake" or turnover bridges, where the towpath changes sides are a distinguishing feature. Apart from the latter,its a sort of "Shroppie Lite" of a cut!

Bridge 77 at Congleton - a "snake" or turnover bridge.

But the intending visitor should not be put off, neither by this nor by the widely reported "fact" that the canal is shallow and moorings are hard to come by. We found only one or two spots were the going was tough due to (lack of) depth and rural moorings at least were easy to come by. The Macclesfield Canal Society publishes an excellent guide to the canal, available at a number of places on the route including Hall Green lock in return for a donation, which details all the official and unofficial moorings. The only problem we encountered in finding somewhere to stop was in the towns. Congleton's limited visitor moorings were nearly all full at midday (although we did notice on our return in the late afternoon that few people appeared to be intending to stay the night) whilst in Macclesfield itself moorings were very few and far between largely because an inordinate amount of space has been given over to two water points. At Bollington we noted that mooring rings appeared to have been removed from the official visitor moorings outside Adelphi Mill making them virtually impossible to use and wondered if this was a result of the mill's conversion into (empty) offices! Even at Marple, a popular destination, moorings were limited and perhaps the canal society should consider emulating that on the Shropshire Union to work with BW to provide additional spaces at popular points.

One advantage the Macc has over the Shroppie is the relative lack of boats, both moving (although that could have been something to do with the weather) and moored - with an agreeable absence of long lines of permanently moored boats throughout most of the route.

Bosley locks are well maintained and well spaced for lockwheelers although the unusual double top gates, devoid of handrails and footboards, make operation cumbersome for small crews as it is not possible to cross the lock at the uphill end.

Bosley Locks - note the absence of handrails or footboards on the top gates.

All in all we enjoyed our trip. The whole length, from Marple to Kidsgrove could be done in a day but that would be a waste. Much better to stop off and enjoy some of the attractions along the way. Marple, Macclesfield and Congleton are worth a visit and Bollington is famed for its pubs. The keen walker can enjoy a ramble to the top of Mow Cop (and the less keen can get the 99 bus from Kidsgrove!) whilst Little Moreton Hall is well worth the walk from bridge 86.

Little Moreton Hall dates from the 16th Century

We spent just three days on the Macclesfield - but we'll definitely be back for more.

How Long?

The water point at Audlem wharf is in a sort of lay-by just long enough for a full-length boat. Having taken on water, we were just leaving and making room for this "dutch barge" style-narrowboat to follow on. The steerer was inching forwards and looked uncertain as to whether the lay-by was large enough to accommodate his boat.

"Will it fit?" he shouted urgently to his wife at the bow. She looked at me, rolled her eyes and said: "Typical man, obsessed with length!"

Not for the first time on the cut I was speechless!