Wet, windy and miserable!

Tuesday 11th June

From Leek back to Milton

The Lagoon by Leek Tunnel

Trees growing out of the limestone.

The wonders of nature!

Cold, wet and windy all the way. Both a tad miserable as we moor but glad to have the old stove puffing away to cheer us at the end of the day . Literally flaming June.

The Caldon Canal

Wednesday 12th June

Reflecting on the Caldon Canal we have not seen  it in the most favourable of conditions but it is a canal of so many different parts. From the industrial and graffiti straw

n areas of Stoke-on-Trent , through pretty parkland, past old bottle kilns next  to modern new flats and then emerging into lovely vistas,  rolling hills and then on into deserted craggy countryside and disused Limekilns . The canal twists and turns as it weaves it's way through the Churnett Valley, which it shares with the Churnett Valley Railway. It is a charming waterway and one we may revisit but hopefully with warmer, drier and calmer conditions.

Hazelhurst Junction

What is this......

Creeping across the towpath and

Hunters Moon?

Bedford Road Staircase Lock

Our journey today retraces our steps back to Barleston, where we picked up a lovely mooring just down the canal from the Wedgwood Factory. Once again we got wet and also once again, not long after we had moored, there came a knock on the boat and who should we see but Penny ! She invited us to share a glass or two of wine on nb Campanula  after dinner.  So, a jolly evening was spent in her company.  Thank you Penny and see you soon, we hope.

The bone and Flint Mill at Etruria

Thursday 13th June

We both woke on Thursday morning convinced it was Wednesday!  Too much wine the night before??!!

Having sorted out that we had not lost a day we set off, in the rain, towards Stone, to top up on provisions and then onward towards Great Haywood where we were leaving Hunters Moon for the weekend while we return to Chi for an hospital appointment.

We will then continue on our travels when hopefully we might see some sun.

Giant Hogweed 

(and a football!)

Baa baa black sheep.