Wednesday saw us cruising through Stoke and past some of the old potteries at Middleport and Longport. Having passed this way on many occasions we’re still hopeful that some of these beautiful and historic buildings are going to be saved.
Some seem to be still in some sort of production ……..
…… and one has already been restored and operating as a tourist attraction. Which is wonderful ………
…….. but, overall, it’s all looking a bit precarious! Fingers crossed.
Getting through Stoke, we moored up next to Westport Lake - arriving at 3 o’clock we managed to get the one and only remaining place.
Passing through the Harecastle Tunnel was first thing on our list on Thursday morning after leaving Westport Lake. 45 minutes after entering the southern portal there was light at the other end ………
…… and then the weird and wonderful orange water to greet us as we exited.
The water colour is due to iron oxide particles seeping from old underground coal workings. The original tunnel, designed by James Brindley and opened in 1777 is to the right of the present Thomas Telford tunnel of 1827.
After a couple of hundred yards from the tunnel there was a bit of a hiatus at the junction with the Macclesfield Canal. There were actually six boats involved but all was sorted in record time and we were able to make the turn onto “the Mac”.
Not quite the Hanging Gardens of Babylon but a precipitous slope non-the-less. Very pretty.
After rising just 12” through the Hall Green stop lock, we took on desperately needed water at Scholar Green then it was just a few hundred yards to a great mooring outside Ramsdell Hall.
Today it’s been a ‘hunkering down’ day as the heavy overnight rain persisted through most of the day. (photo taken yesterday!)
So it’s been a bit of a lazy day looking at the glorious view through rain spotted windows.
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