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

Footpath to the Station

Yesterday (Friday), we decided to go to Stafford.  From the lock that was just down from where we are moored, there was a footpath that took you over the railway line and out onto the road that leads to the station, it was less than a 10 minute walk so we decided to get the train to Stafford rather than the bus.  We walked up to the station and soon we were at Stafford.  We did some shopping, stopped off for a coffee in a nice cafe we know and then got the train back.  It rained for most of the day but did dry up late afternoon.

Waiting for the Lock

Down we go

Today (Saturday) we are moving down to the bottom of the locks, so we set off along the canal to the first lock.  We were following a boat so waited for them to go through then it was our turn.  Soon through there and on to the next one.

Out He Comes

The services is below this lock so we stopped off there to get water.  A couple of boats came by while we were moored up.  It is a bit overcast today and we had a few spots of rain, but luckily it didn’t come to anything.

Horse Tunnel by the Lock

We then set off again, past the old Joules Brewery and onto the next lock.  We had a bit of a wait here as the boat in front of us waited for another boat to come out of the next lock and then come along to this one.  They came up and the boat in front of us went down.  No one else was coming so we filled the lock and then down we went.

Newcastle Road Lock

Passing the old Brewery

I walked on to the last lock which is by the Star pub and we had a bit of a wait at that one as well as the boat in front of us was only just going in.  Soon it was our turn, and Kev took the boat in and I emptied the lock.  There was a boat waiting to come up, so we left the gates open for them and chugged around the corner and moored up in the visitor moorings.  

In Star Lock

These moorings are under trees so not so good for the solar panels, but there was a gap in the trees and so we tried to moor so that the solar panels would be in the gap, its what you call precision mooring!

Hog Roast at Pub

We then walked up to the shops for a few supplies and then took them back to the boat.  The Star pub had a hog roast in the garden so we went back up to the pub and sat outside by the canal in the sunshine which did come out in the afternoon and had a nice hog roast bap and I had Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin and also their Quince Gin, both were really nice.

We then walked back to the boat and just chilled out.  We are staying here tonight and most probably tomorrow as the forecast is not good, if they are wrong we will move on and if they are right we stay and leave on Monday.

Moored in Stone at Bottom of Locks