Finally covering some proper miles again.

(Boat Flamingo - posted by Cath)

Hall Green Stop Lock was to protect Trent & Mersey water supplies

We set off fairly early and travelled the first 9 miles from the bottom of Bosley Locks to the Hall Green stop lock. It's a very attractive canal, although in parts seemed shallower than much of the Macclesfield did yesterday.  It is not always entirely obvious which bits may or may not have been dredged so far.

As we approached Hall Green stop lock there were CRT employees at the lock. Another boater told us that they were 'measuring the lock'. After the previous day we were concerned - was this another narrow lock? Would we have to go backwards a mile and a half to the winding hole? Would we have to make the trip back into Manchester in the other direction? Fortunately, it was just part of a survey that they are doing - perhaps they will be measuring the Bosley locks as part of this.

Immaculate "Dane" a wooden Mersey Weaver boat

Another mile or so and we were back on the Trent and Mersey canal and approaching Harecastle Tunnel. At the tunnel entrance the tunnel keeper asked Alan "have you been through the tunnel before?" He shouted a few safety instructions over the noisy Lister engine and we were straight into the tunnel without stopping and with very little preparation. the height of the tunnel varies greatly due to mining subsidence, and at one point gets very low indeed for some distance. We are always mindful that a boater died in the tunnel five years ago, it is often hard to see where the roof dips down, and you could strike your head. It is much harder to do this tunnel in Flamingo than in the 'leisure boat', Chalice, that we used to own, as the back of the boat is much higher and it is difficult to adopt a safe steering position if you are tall.  However a distinct advantage of being a late addition to the procession of boats already going through is that we were a long way behind the last, so Alan could choose his own speed without any risk of catching them up.

Etruria Bone and Flint mill, with Lindsay & Keppel

Once through the tunnel we headed on the three miles towards Etruria Junction. The canal winds past the remains of the old potteries, with a few bottle kilns in among the ruins of factories. Then down the four locks at Etruria, and into open countryside again. 

 

We now believe it was from a wharf here
that Flamingo operated as a trip boat.

We passed Hem Heath, where Flamingo operated as a trip boat for nearly two decades in the 70s and 80s and then on to Barlaston. We moored half a mile or so before the village and Alan and I walked to the town to get some much needed supplies. Then we changed our minds. There is a pub there which looked like it would feed us, and would accept the dogs in the bar, so we rang David on the boat and asked him to come down and bring the dogs to join us. The pub is owned by Neil Morrisey, and is filled with pictures of him grinning - as well as signs saying 'No dogs behaving badly!' 

Surprisingly, looking back at the whole delayed trip from when we first started, this is the first day we have covered more than 20 miles. It was good to finally to have the first day in a long while without any real stresses.
 
Bosley Bottom Lock to Barleston
Miles 21.6, Locks: 7
Total Miles 272.9, Total Locks:315