As a result, we did not get as far as we might otherwise have done and very few photos were taken! The morning was taken up with navigating the remaining part of the Caldon Canal and we moored for lunch in Hanley Park. There was little debate about taking over an hour break - a complete change of clothes was first necessary!
After filling with water at Etruria Junction we set off down the Stoke flight of five locks, most of which were particularly deep. There is now little evidence of the former role of the area as the world's leader in pottery production, although the road signs opn the main road alongside the canal has visitor signs to several factories. Almost all of the remains of bottle kilns and other historic production facilities have been removed, except that one or two are preserved and incorporated into new office or housing developments.
The canal passed close to a large old cemetery, now set out as a park before dropping underneath the railway. There was little point in continuing to cruise in the driving rain so we opted for a mooring site outside the towns - it would be a long way before we would lose the railway line but at least the main road is out of earshot.
