Bridge 104, Barlaston to Westport Lake (Trent & Mersey Canal)

Wednesday 3rd August

We are travelling over seven miles and 6 locks today, so we got up early and left by 8.15am, goodness what is happening, not used to this!

Passing cows having a swim

In Trentham Lock

We left the cows in the water by our mooring and chugged on along the canal to Trentham Lock.  All the locks today are deep ones so not my favourite.  We were soon through there and on along the canal to Stoke on Trent.  We passed the Britannia Stadium, now actually called Bet 365, home of Stoke City Football Club, the hallowed ground and we bowed as we went by, our friend Dave is a staunch Stoke City Supporter.  

In the Deep Stoke Bottom Lock

In lock with train going by

Two bottle kilns by canal

On we went and then we came to the Stoke Flight of locks, 5 in total and worked our way up them. The bottom lock is particularly deep but there was a boat in front of us and some coming down so plenty of people around to help.  We worked our way up the flight and just before the last two locks is Etruscan Bone & Flint Mill, a Victorian steam-powered potter’s miller’s works, built in 1857 and which ground bone, flint and stone for the pottery industry until closure in 1972.  It has now been restored as a museum.

Etruscan Bone & Flint Mill

In Stoke Top Lock

Bottle Kiln at Middleport Pottery

Middleport Pottery

Black Swan at Westport Lake

The last two locks had volunteers so we were soon through there and stopped at the top to get rid of rubbish and empty the elsan then on our way again along the canal and past Middleport Pottery and soon after that we were at Westport Lake where we moored up. Would you believe it, it had been dry all the time we were chugging along and just as we were mooring up, we had a sharp shower then the sun came out.  I then decided I want to move up the moorings to a sunnier spot which Kev had said was best in the beginning so we moved the boat up and we had another sharp shower and then the sun came out again.

Westport Lake

We chilled out for a bit then we went for a walk around the lake and had a coffee in the café which overlooks the lake, we sat outside it was blowing a hoolie but nice all the same.  Bill turned up and moored behind us, he left Al at Barlaston, apparently he is coming on here tomorrow.

We then walked over the bridge and up the hill onto the main road to the Aldi to get a few supplies then back to the boat.

We are staying here tomorrow as well as we are going to walk back down the towpath to Middleport Pottery which has a museum and visitor centre and café and should be really interesting so looking forward to that.

Moored at Westport Lake