Thursday 12 July 2007

Froghall and Leek

The Caldon Canal continued to be particularly rural but especially narrow and slow in places. Eventually we arrived at the terminus - or atleast as far as we could go since Poppy was just too large to pass through the tunnel.

Instead, we walked to Froghall Basin which has been remarkably well restored. Stimulated by a charitable donation, European and other public resources enabled the re-creation of the first lock on the Uttoxeter Canal - which originally continued the canal from here. (As a result, the mileposts give distance from Uttoxter as well as Etruria) Below the lock there were several mooring pontoons.



What puzzles us is: why? Very few boats will currently be able to pass through the tunnel - the boat in the lower basin looked larger that Poppy but is probably local and knows that the official profile guage is somewhat conservative. Nervertheless, spending such a large sum of money on a project which is currently effectively unusable seems bizarre.

After an ice cream, we re-traced our steps along the canal back to the junction with the Leek Branch. The builders of the Caldon Canal originally intended this branch to be simply a feeder, bringing vital water supplies to the main canal. However, the dignataries of Leek demanded that it be made navigable so that the silk trade based in the town could have better access to wider markets.



Close to the end of the branch is a short tunnel which was re-opened in 1985 - it has a rather unusual profile. We moored at the last winding point and walked to the very end which is where there was an aqueduct over the River Chrurnet. The last half mile has long been filled in and now an indistrial estate occupies the position.



Once again we turned around to track back the way we came, continuing until we were close to Endon (of the non-farm shop) for a night mooring - actually, the call of a chilli on the cooker was a persuasive factor!