Bottle Kilns and Lift Bridges

As Paul prepared to cast off a hire boat crew raced to beat him. Triumphantly they

Locking up in Stone 

sped to the lock first – then posed nonchalantly in their cool sunglasses hands on windlasses. Unfazed Paul decided to fill with water, guessing they might take a while. After the second lock we saw the triumphant crew taking their bags off their hire boat. Poor things they had endured two days terrible weather - we are so fortunate to have our own boat as this time we delayed our cruise to miss the torrential rain.

Our locking was speedy in spite of the deep locks, as we met boats as they were leaving locks so gates were left open for us. At the last lock the approaching Viking boat left the lock gates open for us as we had risen nearly to the top of the lock and they thought no one was following them. As I glided into the lock the gates closed. I threw the boat into reverse while He-Who-Must-Be -Obeyed bellowed : ‘boat coming open the gates!’ Thankfully the Black Prince crew obeyed his order.

Lottie had a good morning running free in the sunshine at the later locks. When we moored she lay on the towpath beside the boat before coming in to join us.

Beautiful bottle kilns

After lunch we cruised into Stoke on Trent under a maze of deep road and rail bridges. It was lovely to have no wind today. we passed superbly restored bottle kilns looking overwhelmed by the modern buildings surrounding them.  We negotiated the deep Stoke locks without problems even though the gates are heavy. Some gates have weights carved into their frames. I feel proud at opening gates of 1800 kilos and some 2020 kilos all by myself, although that is only possible because the gates swivel easily on their massive pivots. At Etruria junction Lottie explored onto the Caldon canal while we took the boat up the final lock beside the old bone and flint lock. Although it was 4.00 we stopped for a break before tackling the staircase lock. 

Thankfully I only had to lift one bridge

Staircase locks are fascinating to work as a boat goes straight from one lock into the next. I opened the lower gates then headed to the top lock to fill it leaving Paul to cruise into the lock. While I was still far above him a couple from another narrow boat closed the gates for me. They wanted to see how the staircase lock worked as they will be doing it tomorrow, so we had their help, which was welcome. It was sunny when we said farewell to them, a perfect evening cruise. 

After a single lock I had to operate a lift bridge. The bridge would lift with the turn of my key once the barriers were down. However putting them down was a manual job. I had trouble with the heavy barriers. Eventually I got them to drop down – but they rebounded and bounced high, eventually banging down into their cups. With my finger on the green button I lifted the bridge, Paul sailed beneath and I lowered it back down. Could I do the barriers? I pulled and one started to rise but changed its mind and crashed back down. By this time there were several cars queuing in each direction. 

On the Caldon the bottle kilns were more conical

“Could you help me get this up?” I asked a passing pedestrian. On the canals most people help but this was a road so he ignored me. I guess I would blank a dishevelled woman with wild hair if I was him. 

I found I could push the barrier up by starting in the middle and walking towards the pivot pushing up. It was like pushing a lamppost up from the horizontal. Having got the barrier quivering in the upright position I ran to the other barrier and started pushing up. As soon as it was clear of his roof an Audi shot beneath the wobbling pole. Mad fool – I could have dropped it on top of him! Seconds later the barrier was up and the other cars rolled across the bridge. Lift bridges – not the most uplifting experience though practice with the barriers probably does make perfect and develops the muscles.

We moored in a beautiful spot out in the country much to Lottie’s approval.

Peaceful

Long after dark blaring music over the throb of an engine came up the cut. A narrow boat came past without slowing . Paul had used chains round metal piling attached to the stone bank so although we banged the boat held firm. Further along the bank where a hire boat was moored people began shouting. Torches flashed and then eventually the familiar sound of mooring pins being  pounded into the ground reached our ears.  The mad night boater must have interrupted their evening’s entertainment by speeding past so that their mooring pins pulled out of the ground. It is just as well that they had not gone to bed or they would have woke to find they were adrift.