The Captivating Caldon Canal. !!!

After leaving Milton( the first part of the Canal is not a lot to write home about), we then found ourselves in countryside that was reminiscent of either Derbyshire, the Dales and when it chucked it down, The Lake district.  It is incredibly pretty, with rolling buttercup-filled hills and meadows, babbling streams, the river Churnet runs by the side of the Canal.  There is a lovely old railway run by enthusiasts, pretty stone pubs. -----YEAH !  Its gorgeous

Moored at Park lane , where there are facilities. Elsan( no we do not neet it yet ! ), showers, toilets, rubbish disposal, and a tumble dryer !( you don’t often see them,)  .This is a big walking area, so I guess the dryer could help if one gets ones trousers soaked.

I tried out the showers first..  Excellent, a big wet-room, plenty of hot water.  Mick went next and after a while I received a phone call from him…..” err, I forgot my towel “.  “ well, come back and fetch it then”.  As he wouldn’t do a streak a la “ Susie Saunders”, I had to take his towel, and I was wearing rollers in my hair !!!!.  So glad that this is a quiet canal, and only frightened a few CRT workers, and they deserve to have a shock now and again.

We left the 24hr moorings( where there were 2 boats that had been there for quite a while), and the day started lovely, soft winds, warm sun and a light shower here and there.  The further we went, and the canal started to go downhill, so did the weather.

We arrived at Froghall, and the terminus, in torrential rain and thunderstorms. Have spied a pub for Sunday. And then will start back towards the locks and have a gleg down the Leek Branch.  

 

 We go to Froghall. and to the right to Leek.

 Those boats are moored on the Leek Branch, and this is where I would like to moor. 

 Froghall

 The Uttoxeter Canal ends here

 Kilns

 This place sells ice creams, BUT only when the sun shines. 

 This is the terminus at Froghall.

 Next time, we are going through this. !!!!