Tuesday 18/10 Wedgewood Pottery to Bridge 82, Salt

This morning Tim, Mike and I visited the Wedgewod factory. Willow sculpture in the courtyard

We spent ages checking out the shop and then had to revive ourselves with a coffee and bacon sarnie before walking back to the boat.

Cast off at 12.30 cruising into the sun. Got through the four Meaford Locks okay, but then found ourselves at the back of the queue for the four Stone Locks. Even with me going ahead to help work the locks for the boat in front of us while Mike and Tim worked the locks for Lawrence, it still took ages to get through and the. Just round the corner from the bottom lock we ran into a traffic jam - on the canal!

By 3.30 it was dark and ominous looking, but the rain, in the main, held off, but it was cold

Going past Sandon

This is the guy I helped through the Stone Locks

His boat was built in 1938 and has a 1953 Lister something or other Diesel engine!

Coming up to Aston Lock

And filling it

And memorable because it is the halfway point on the Trent and Mersey Canal. We have approx 36 miles to go.

Bridge 88

If only we could take a shortcut across the field

Lawrence asked me to find an idyllic mooring for the night. After much studying of both canal guides, I 

 deemed that Bridge 82 was the spot. The park of the stately, Sandon Hall on one side of the Canal and the Village of Salt on the bank of the Rover Trent, with the highly recommended Hollybush Inn ( another one) on the other.  However, what I didn't take note of, in either of the guides, was the brown line running alongside the canal between Sandon Hall and the canal.

So, I'm a bit on the nose with L right now as it turns out that the thin brown line running alongside the canal (any closer, said Lawrence, it would be in the canal) is the Manchester - London railway line :(

However when we walked up the lane from Bridge 82, I was forgiven, a little bit, when we caught site of our dining destination

The thatched roof pub is reputedly the oldest in Staffordshire.  Fingers crossed the food is good, and I will be forgiven completely.

PS two of us are wondering if we are going to get food poisoning. I don't think I have been forgiven :(

9 miles, 10 locks in 5 hours