Longport to near Barlaston

Last nights mooring.  There is enough room here for 20 boats, is very quiet and a pleasant outlook and its not in the book.

The canal has had its milestones restored  by volunteers. Its nice to see the milestones but I do prefer (not a criticism) to see the original.                                                                                                     

Into Middleport.  There are any number of derelict buildings but some of these are actually still in use.

The first of the 'bottle kilns'.

Every so often there is a nice area in between the dereliction.

Then you get near and the locals have managed to spoil it all.  Graffiti on anywhere it can be put and shopping trolley in the canal. 

The bottles come in a number of sizes.

Occasionally an arm will appear off to one side. this one was just a link into the works.

Looking at the signage this seems to be the  home of Black Prince Cruisers. A handy lift bridge for access.

The entry to the Caldon Canal is off to the left of the building.  Behind it is a BW yard. The building is the Industrial Museum.

Locks here have their own style.  Sloping off to one side they are easy opening although one or two of the lock gates are a bit on the heavy side for a lady of a shorter stature I was told.

Below the lock is the Etruscan Bone and Flint Works. There are some moorings here for the visitor.

I could have sworn that there was someone sat there a moment ago!!

Proud Mum and Dad standing guard.

This must be a mining area. well I should have known that with Harecastle Tunnel subsiding. A bit earlier there was a half winding wheel stuck in the ground.

On the way out of Stoke on Trent the football stadium pops into view through the trees.

Ahh. Taking the goat for a walk. Still miss mine. It was the only sensible conversation I would have.

The land around here is mainly scrub.  Back towards Stoke there is a mass of cleared areas that are completely flat and ready to be built on.

On the out-skirts of Trentham.  Nice and countryfied.

Stopped at Bridge 106 as the book says there is a shop here.  There is but it is really a CheapBooze outlet with the basics of life tacked on.  Merlot tonight for tea :-) A nice mooring but at the steps leading up to the road the youth congregate.  Not a problem but why push your luck. Moved on.

The last lock of the day. Trendham Lock and I am in the middle of a traffic jam. Three boats going down and one coming up.  Luckily for me there is a boat behind and they will close up behind me.

Near the Wedgwood factory and Bridge 104 there is a mooring and that is the one for tonight.


Wiki -Josiah Wedgwood worked with an established potter, Thomas Whieldon, until 1759, when relatives leased him the Ivy House in Burslem to allow him to start his own pottery business. The launch of the business was helped by his marriage to a remote cousin, Sarah (also Wedgwood), and her sizeable dowry.

In 1765, Wedgwood created a new earthenware form which impressed the then English Queen, who gave permission to call it "Queen's Ware"; this new form sold extremely well across Europe. Then, in 1766, Wedgwood bought Etruria, a large Staffordshire estate, as both home and factory site. Wedgwood developed a number of further industrial innovations for his company, notably a way of measuring kiln temperatures accurately and new ware types Black Basalt and Jasper Ware (the first colour was the Poland Blue and for its innovation Josiah Wedgwood experimented with more than 3,000 samples). In recognition of the importance of his pyrometer, Josiah Wedgwood was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1783. Today, the Wedgwood Prestige collection sells replicas of some of the original designs, as well as modern neo-classical style jasper ware.