Tuesday 12th March

Tuesday 12th March 2013

Last night had been cold, we'd closed all the windows and this morning the bathroom window had a lovely layer of ice on it. Outside the cut had slightly frozen but not fully. A CART work boat headed towards us and up through the lock. They did a great job of breaking the ice up but stole the lock that was in our favour. So we decided to have bacon butties and put off setting off for a little while to let the sun do it's best on the cut.
Filled up we headed to Stockton Brook Locks. These were all now set against us but never mind. Just before the fourth lock there was a strange bollard with solar panels on it, It made us think of the dareks and wondered if we'd be exterminated! Frank returned from the little post office with fresh supplies of milk and we were off again.

Intermittent flurries of snow kept happening and then brilliant sunshine. The ice had been in patches on the cut but when we turned the bend by Stoke Boating Club (after avoiding the rather obvious obstruction!) the cut was covered with what seemed like a thick layer. Mick lost the ability to steer and we just headed to the side. Kettle on and decide a plan of action.
The CART work boat went ahead of us breaking up the ice and chatting to a moored boat ahead of us he occasionally used his broom to break ice ahead of him to be able to steer. We looked through Nicholsons and decided that the best course of action would be to battle on to Park Lane bridge where there was a service station, so toilets and water should we be there for a while. Frank armed himself with the barge pole at the stern, me a mop at the bow and off we set. As we turned the first bend the ice became more like slush puppy and progress became much easier. We made best use of all the facilities at the service station and deceided to continue as the going had got much much easier.

So straight on for Froghall. The occasional patches of ice were still around in the shade but moved out of the way for us. The junction of the two branches is lovely with a very attractive bridge and dinky bridges over the locks. Down the three locks and under the aquaduct of the other branch. Slightly worrying the amount of icicles hanging off it! At Cheddleton we dropped through the two locks making a note to visit the Flint Mill on our return and the boys oggled the rolling stock on the tracks of the Churnet Valley Railway. An obstruction below the water here took Man Mountain Frank pushing and shoving for sometime to get us loose again. At Oakmeadow Ford Lock we checked the height of the water on the River Churnet which was in the green so we could head on down to Froghall. It seemed really speedy on the river going with the current.


At Consall Forge the river goes straight on over a weir and we headed left under two tiny bridges which took Micks skillful steering to achieve without bumps or scrapes. The canal then goes along side Consall Railway station, at one point you are actually under the platform and waiting room. The boys would have been in heaven if the trains had actually been running! Flint Mill Lock the last on the branch has a guage to see if your boat will fit through Froghall tunnel. WD wouldn't , but we already knew that. On down the cut, winding, very narrow at times and slightly icey.  The journey was stunning with the low late afternoon sunlight catching the trees for a couple of miles, then the world opened out infront of us to reveal.... industry and a cleared demolition site. This was as far as we could get, so moored up for the night.

The view wasn't much to speak about and a bit of a disappointment after the last few miles. I set about using up the Sunday Roast to make a chicken curry, which went down well. A few glasses of wine and a beer or two left us wondering if we should have winded before mooring up for the night. Winding with ice on the cut wouldn't be nice.

10 miles, 13 locks.