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| Approaching the junction with the Trent & Mersey |
We
were up bright and early so that we could get to the Harecastle Tunnel entrance
for 8am when it opens. Richard had
walked up there yesterday and was told that they usually let the boats at the
other end go first in the mornings. We
arrived and found four boats already there – I’m sure they must have
overnighted there! However we didn’t
have to wait long before the first boat moved off – so it was our end first today J A traditional workboat, Lillian, was in front
of us but they struggled to get through the entrance which had apparently
silted up overnight. In the end he waved
us through saying that he was going to fill up his water tank (water tanks are
usually in the bows) to see if that would lift the stern out of the water a
bit. We entered the tunnel and I had my
breakfast – it had all been such a rush that we hadn’t time to eat! I took over the steering while Richard had
his breakfast. I was quite happy
steering but as the roof got lower I handed back to Richard as I thought if the
top box or cratch caught on the tunnel and I was steering I would never hear
the last of it!!
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| Lillian trying to get into Harecastle Tunnel |
We
motored on down to Etruria and the Stoke locks.
We discovered a queue of six boats waiting to go down the locks but as
we needed to use the services we passed them by, used the services then
reversed back to rejoin the queue. There
was a boat coming up each of the five locks, except for one, which always makes
life a little easier with someone else to help.
The
area through Stoke is rather sad where potteries or steel works have been pulled down and just an area of
wasteland left.
 |
| Meaford Bottom Lock |
We had hoped to moor above Meaford Locks but
C&RT are working on the towpath there so we went down another four locks
and are now moored in front of some rather attractive modern houses. One is for sale at £330,000 which I would
guess is quite a lot for this area.
 |
| The houses opposite our mooring |
Poole
Aqueduct to Meaford Bottom Lock
14.41
miles
1
0
locks
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