Westport Lake (Trent & Mersey) to Milton (Caldon Canal)

Middleport Pottery

Onto the Caldon we go!

It was sunny again today as we set off from Westport Lake, down into Stoke on Trent and past the Middleport Pottery with kilns right by the canal and to the junction with the Caldon canal and up there we went.  We stopped at the services to fill up with water.  Right opposite is a statue of James Brindley who built the Trent & Mersey canal. 

James Brindley Statue

In the staircase

We chugged off up around the corner to the staircase locks, they are quite deep at just over 9 and a half feet each, through there to the next lock which is a baby at only 3ft 10ins, it is called Planet Lock, Kev called it Planet Rock after the radio station he listens to! On up the canal through Hanley Park, not that nice around here as it is very built up.   

Nearly up the staircase

In Planet Rock, sorry Lock!

Bridge 8 is low and Bridge 9 is even lower, just squeezed through.  

Ivy House Lift Bridge

We then came to Ivy House Lift Bridge, it is an electric lift bridge, boater operated!!  We both went up to the bridge to see what to do.  Put my key in the slot and opened the lid, we then had to put the barriers down, Kev did one and I did the other and he went back to the boat.  I then had to keep my finger on the open button and up went the bridge.  Kev  came through and then I closed it again and put the barriers back up.  We only held up one car and a few walkers.  After there, you soon leave Stoke on Trent behind and are out in open countryside, much nicer! 

This is a really nice canal, but quite narrow and windy.  We moored at Milton a nice small village.

Walked up to the shops, there are quite a few and varied ones.  Had a coffee in the nice café there, then walked back down and went in the butchers.  We bought some nice middle bacon which the lady had just cut from a large piece, can’t get better than that!

Moored at Milton

We are staying here tonight and may stay here tomorrow as well and get a bus back to Stoke as we were going to stop there today, but nowhere on the canal around there looked very inviting!