Barlaston to Stone (Top of Locks) - Trent & Mersey Canal

Off we go from our mooring

waiting into between locks

Yesterday (Wednesday) we did some jobs on the boat in the morning and then walked along the towpath, did a couple of caches then went to the Plume & Feathers pub and had some lunch.  We sat outside as it was a very warm sunny day and we managed to get a table with some shade.  I had their Boatman’s lunch which was a homemade sausage roll, home cooked ham, cheese, honey & mustard little sausages, pickles, some salad leaves and a bread roll, it was really nice.  Kev had mini chicken fillets panini with thrice cooked chips, the chips were huge but really good.  After lunch we walked back to the boat and chilled out.

And on to the next lock

Today we are leaving Barlaston and heading back down the canal to Stone.  We have four locks to do and it was another sunny warm day as we set off along the canal.

In He Goes

We got to the first lock and there was a boat in front of us so they went down and a boat was waiting to come up and he was a single hander so we did the lock for him, it was then our turn and down the lock we went.

I walked to the next one and there was a boat in the lock and the lock was full and ready for them to come out but the lady was cleaning the windows!  I said to her shall I open the gate and she said oh yes please, its ready now is it, she then got on the boat and called to her husband then said to me he's not ready yet so we waited a couple of minutes then he came out, started the engine and went out the lock, they seemed oblivious that we were waiting to use the lock, nowt so strange as folk!!

Waiting under the Bridge

And Out He Comes

We were soon through this one and onto the next, no hold ups there and then we were at the last lock for today, another single hander was coming up so we helped him and then it was our turn.

Once through the locks, we chugged on for about a mile and then came to the moorings at the top of the Stone flight of locks and we moored up saving those locks for another day.

One Out, One In

This afternoon we went for a walk to find the train station via a footpath from the canal and it is about a 10 minute walk from where we are moored so we are going to get the train tomorrow to Stafford. We then walked into the town and went to Morrisons then back up the locks to the boat.

We are now staying here for a couple of days and chugging off on Sunday.

Moored at Stone