Lovely guests and the Caldon Canal.

So on the Friday night the lovely guests arrived. So a wet and drizzly start to the weekend which began by filling up with water at the junction. Where this brilliant man presides.  

Very deep pair of staircase locks at the very start of the canal, I always read the instructions twice at staircase locks..... just in case.

This was the view as we left this bridge, as we entered it we were both panicky as the visibility was zero of oncoming boats this thick willow was spilling over the bridge both ends.  

A couple of swing bridges or rather lift bridges.

Pretties and WaL

 No idea what they are....

But a few locks along was this lovely art installation....

Reflecting the area's past industrial heritage.  

Fine Company, Bob and Kirsty

The edge of Stoke gives way to the countryside.

We moored up at the very first chance to get a southeast facing mooring open enough to receive TV signal and watch the Ladies Wimbledon Final.   

After the disappointing match for my hero Venus lost, we carried on in the afternoon to moor at the Holly Bush Pub at Dernford.  

The next morning the idea was to carry on and finding another spot to watch the mens finals. After a couple of hours the tennis lovers realised that with the deep valley and tall trees this was going to be impossible, so at midday we turned back and we moored at the Holly Bush again where TV reception was assured.  But we passed by the  Cheddleton Mill

HERE.  

David and I stopped for a visit another day where we learnt that a mill had been on the site since the mid 1200's but in the late 18th century it was converted to grind flints, these flints were collected from southern England where we still have a lot of them lying around and there are photos in the mill of French peasants collecting flints on the beaches of northern France.  These were shipped in by canal, ground down in the mill and then shipped out to the factories of Stoke for use in china. 
There is also a photo of the last miller taken in 1903, his daughter aged 90 plus still lives in the cottage with the red painted windows! Its all run by volunteers and donations.

Last miller's daughter still lives on the right hand cottage.

One of the two working wheels, today powered by the river.

The visit was fascinating, stop by.

Kirsty ran to our car, moved it nearer to the canal, then ran back to the boat, all three of them run, they don't get that from their mother.

This was the weather and view from the sink on WaL at The Holly Bush, great eh?

Very busy place.  David and I walked over the hill and far away....

I love these stone gaps.

So that is WaL outside the ex brewery cottages, the brewery now long gone owned the pub.

Saw these on the walk up the hill, anyone know what they are?

July is quite late for Foxgloves on this shady bank. 

This is the aqueduct taking the Leek Arm of the Caldon canal over this branch to Froghall.

In the evening, we set off to where the car was left very close to the main road and the Park Lane services, at 6am three elephants got up trying to be quiet, David drove them into Stoke city to catch the early train back to London and work.

Sorry to see you go both.