Cheddleton to Froghall (Caldon Canal) and trip to Cheadle

 Wednesday 3^rd September

Churnet Valley Steam Railway

Train in Froghall Station

Black Lion Pub

We are off on the Churnet Valley Steam Railway today.  We are moored near the station so walked up over the bridge and we were at the station.  Bought our ticket and waited for the train.  It is a small line, it goes from Cheddleton to Kingsley & Froghall and stops at Consall Forge on the way.  The round  trip is 10 miles.  We got on at Cheddleton and went down to Froghall, it follows the canal for most of the journey.  We got off the train and had a walk along the canal to Froghall basin and the tunnel which is very low and our boat won’t fit through it.  We had a look to see where we could moor as we will be chugging down here tomorrow.  We had a drink in the Railway pub which is near the station.  Had a look around the shop, then got back on the train and got off at Consall Forge.  This place is in the middle of nowhere, it is very quiet now but used to be a busy mining area.  There is a pub there called The Black Lion and there is no proper road to it, only a bumpy dirt track, so  most of their customers come by foot, train or boat.  It was busy.  It was very odd, this pub in the valley with nothing else for miles, nice though! 

Walked  back to the station and  got on the train, it went down to Froghall, then back up we went to Cheddleton.  It was a really nice day and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  We are staying here tonight, then chugging off tomorrow, down to where we have just been by train

 

Thursday 4th September

 

It was quite sunny as we set off down the canal, to the first lock and through there okay and on we went.  We came to a lift bridge but it seems to be permanently open, so that was lucky as I didn’t have to work it.

Platform overhanging canal

Going underneath platform

Through the next lock and this takes us on to the river section, it is the River Churnet.  The river and the canal share the same course for about a mile.  When there has been heavy rain, this river bit sometimes floods, so there is a marker just past this lock which tells you the river level, but it was well in the green, so on we went.  We stopped at Consall Forge for water, then on pass the isolated Black Lion pub.  Just past the pub is Consall  Railway Station and the platform overhangs the canal, it is a weird sight and a bit odd going underneath it, but very unique!  Onto the next lock, which is the end of the river section.

This part of the canal is in the middle of nowhere, its just trees and fields wherever you look, really nice.  The last bit of this canal is quite narrow so luckily this canal is very quiet, we have only seen one boat today going the other way.  At the end of the canal is Froghall Tunnel, it is a very low tunnel, only 5ft so most boat can’t get under it and we are no exception, so we turned in the winding hole before the tunnel and moored up there.  So we are now at the end of the Caldon canal. We are staying here tonight and tomorrow, then chugging back up on Saturday.

Moored at Froghall

Friday 5^th September

Cheadle

Unusual Church Door in Cheadle

Decided to catch a bus today to Cheadle, a market town a few miles away, so went up to the bus stop to wait for the bus, wasn’t sure if it would turn up as we had read that it was a bit unreliable, but fortunately that was wrong and it came along and off we went to Cheadle.  It is a nice market town, they have an outdoor market and an indoor market on a Friday, but it was a bit disappointing, but the actual town is really nice.  We wandered around and then went for coffee in a nice coffee shop and had Stafforshire oatcakes, they are really nice, a bit like pancakes but nicer.  There is a Morrisons there, so did a bit of shopping, then caught the bus back.  Just chilled out for the rest of the day.