Saturday 18^th August 2018

We had bought two long rope fenders in Stone and one of these was fitted to the starboard side bow, see if that gives any more protection to the paintwork. It certainly looks good.

I want to start doing our own ropework anyway, but need to find suitable books first. Then they can be made to the lengths we want.

Just as we were setting off to leave, a boat passed us that caused us to surge, I couldn’t hold her and the paint on the starboard side quarter got scuffed anyway. Ah well.

We moved just less than 2 miles before mooring up close to the village of Salt beside bridge 82. The kids are coming out on Monday and we want to be somewhere accessible for Tracey to easily find and not too much of a walk to get to the boat. Here is as good a place as any.

You see so much more travelling slowly along the canals. There are a few old houses beside Sandon Lock, one has a nameplate “The Old Mill”. In their gardens was an unusual structure. Four-sided, made of tapering, dressed stone blocks with what looked to be a grass roof with a fence around the top. I pointed this out to a guy on the towpath, it turned out he lived there and the structure was a lime kiln.

Before the advent of a national railway system, lime was produced locally in small kilns like this. Lime is used in the mixing of mortars, but also as a multi-purpose agricultural fertiliser. There would have been many lime kilns spread across the country. The lime was produced by layering coal, wood or coke, chalk or limestone, firing the kiln and then drawing off the powered lime at the bottom. This one was unusual in that it looked to be in a preserved state and was located in somebody’s garden.

 The picturesque Holly Bush Inn, Salt, Staffs

                                                                                                 Salt Bridge.

                                                                                           lots of detail in the

                                                                                                 stone work

 We walked up into the village, crossing over the River Trent again, and had a few pints at the Holly Bush Inn. The guide book describes it as a 16^th century thatched country inn, reputedly the oldest in Staffordshire. It was certainly fascinating and atmospheric. Lots of lovely hanging baskets and flowers all around it.

As an aside, the name “Holly Bush” with regards to pub names, came about to advertise that the particular house had an excess of beer. In days gone-by the water was undrinkable and beer was brewed, usually by the lady of the house. A holly branch, or bush, was used to advertise an excess as holly was the only readily available evergreen in these times. Also, hence the term “public house”.

Back at the boat, we got the seats out on the towpath, more drinks and an early night for the two of us.

Day Total: 1 locks; 2 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 3.1

Overall Total: 158 locks; 316 miles; 15 tunnels; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 179.4