Homeward bound

Lottie exploring by the locks

I walked Lottie along to the lock past the towpath closed sign hoping to beat the workmen’s arrival. I didn’t but I called to them and asked if I could come past and they waved me through. After checking nobody was coming up I opened the top lock and waited.

Paul had trouble getting past the towpath works as the working barge had swung across the canal. By the time they had straightened it out another boat had caught him up. We flew down the five Stockton Brook locks as the first two were in our favour and an up-coming boat set the next. Lottie enjoyed exploring the locks as if she remembered Stoke lay ahead.

Pheasant strutting

At the first lift bridge a boater coming towards up held it open for us but I had to work the second one. It takes ages turning the windlass, a perfect build up for my muscles.

Soon afterwards we saw a kestrel hovering beside the canal. As we drew parallel it plummeted and rose again with a small rodent hanging from its talons. How do they spot such small prey from up there? Today we were struck by the strange sight of a bottle kiln poking through the roof of a building. surely it was built first then the building added later.

Unusual bottle kiln protruding through roof

To my embarrassment my husband had no trouble working the Ivy Lift Bridge where I had struggled to raise and lower the barriers. I thought being tall would make it easy but he is only a couple of inches taller than me so obviously it is his technique that is superior. On reaching the bridge by the park we found the graffiti had been transformed by local art work.

We cruised for four hours in total arriving at the staircase lock with it set for us. However at the bottom all the moorings were full. Hungrily Paul filled with water while I made the corned beef sandwiches.

We joined the Trent and Mersey canal and reversed away from the lock to moor for lunch. 

Bridge brightening

Some lads were paddling canoes nearby, what a fun thing to do in the holidays. Suddenly there was a bang and strange noises coming from the rear of the boat. One of the boys had thought it fun to paddle under our rear fender and had got his canoe wedged between the fender and the rudder which lies hidden in the water. After wriggling, pushing and almost capsizing his craft the small canoe popped free of the rudder half full with water. Its young owner was red faced when I asked him what he was doing. After all there was lots of water to paddle through without cuddling the rear of a narrow boat. 

Unfortunately this disturbed Lottie and she didn’t settle down again so after only forty minutes we headed into our next lock. 

Ponies resting

We sped down this flight as well, meeting boats as they exited the locks. Lottie found a large chunk of muck which she ate much to Paul’s dismay. What goes in must come out so we have a smelly evening ahead of us. The windows will be needed for ventilation. After that she lay down in the stern literally keeping a low profile but the locks were concrete affairs that wouldn’t interest her anyway.

At our final lock of the day she perked up and explored the woods which lay to one side of the lock while I worked it.

This overnight mooring is rustic with ponies grazing peacefully in the fields. Lottie was excited but they remained peaceful as she was taken inside and not allowed loose to chase them. The moon shone through clear skies making this a beautiful evening.