New waters and nerve-wracking decisions

A change of scene does us all good, as boaters know only too well.

This week we’ve begun exploring the Caldon, somewhere we’ve wanted to travel for the past five years. Problems with locks and water levels have stopped us until now, but now we are here. The Canal takes off from the Trent & Mersey Canal in the heart of the Potteries at Stoke-on-Trent. From there it wends its way through industry, housing, Edwardian parks with 21st century mugas (multi use games areas), through deeply wooden glades to the foot of the sweeping hills that crown the Staffordshire Moorlands.

The skipper has classed it “Llangollen without all the boats” as the ‘Golly’ attracts boaters in their hoardes. I have no idea why the Caldon doesn’t do the same. It is beautiful, peaceful, and offers its own breathtaking challenges, even if not a world-class towering aqueduct.

Winding through the Churnet Valley, the canal becomes two-pronged. One branch winding its way to the creative market town of Leek known  well by William Morris; the other, mainline, working its way to Froghall. The Leek branch was built to bring water to the rest of the canal, and the entire waterway was built to transport ironstone and limestone. Both were used in making ceramics.

This is a waterway which like so many in Britain today, we can only navigate and enjoy because of the incredible, unstinting work of thousands of volunteers. These are people with vision, with passion and determination.

The Leek Arm or Branch, which we are currently enjoying, was abandoned in 1944. In 1957, Leek Urban District Council bought it and filled in the section between the Churnet Aqueduct and Leek Basin. That land now houses part of an industrial estate.

In 1961, a formal notice of closure of the Canal was posted, and two years later, the Caldon Canal Committee was formed to campaign to keep it open. The individuals involved fought and worked hard, and in 1974, the waterway was officially reopened to navigation (although without the length that sits under the industrial estate).

So this year marks 50 years since the Caldon Canal reopened due to the efforts of so many people, and today  there is a major celebration event which we will be attending at the Stoke-on-Trent boat club at Endon on the canal itself. It is due to them that we along with kingfishers, green woodpeckers, moorhens, ducks, walkers, fishermen, runners, cyclists, and other boaters can enjoy this beautiful waterway. We want to support and salute their efforts by using the waterway, and joining in the celebrations.

That’s before we dash off, not by boat, to another great celebration of heritage boats, traders, and traditional music at Tipton on the BCN – the Birmingham Canal Navigation The Tipton Canal and Community Festival is another example of boaters and supporters of the network coming together to meet up and celebrate the privilege of living, workin,  and supporting the inland waterways. It promises to be a chance to meet up with great friends and enjoy some fun together.

As a drect result of the efforts of Staffordshire volunteers, there are now 20 navigable miles of the Caldon, 17 locks (one a staircase), 3 lift bridges, and 2 tunnels. The Leek Tunnel often puts people off because they’re unsure if they can turn after it, but there is a winding hole before the final end of the navigation, where we turned happily in and then we reversed up towards the end.

Next week, we will make it along the second arm of the canal towards Froghall, and that is going to be a heart-stopping experience. Heaven knows if we will be as fortunate to have such an easy passage.  Froghall Tunnel is LOW… very low.

Before it, there is a gauge that is supposed to tell you if you can make it through the tunnel or not. People say (alarming phrase really…) that it’s pessimistic by several inches so the advice is if you look close, give it a go as there’s a beautiful wharf with great mooring beyond, close to a wonderful tearoom. Some hire boat companies refuse to allow their boats to try Froghall in an attempt to reduce damage – to the boats and the tunnel.


We’ve seen 4 different dimensions of clearance for Froghall… and we’ve had friends who have made it and friends who have not. We aim to check in at the gauge, fill with water to get us as low as we can be, remove our cratch cover, and hope we can inch our way through the tunnel. I think this will be one for the skipper to take the tiller on!



Will we make it? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We will try, and next week, you can find out how we did (unless, of course, we are still wedged in there without an internet connection)!