Wednesday 23rd October 2019



We awoke to a foggy morning and struggled to see the other side of the canal. We left the mooring after a leisurely breakfast, the fog had started to lift and it was a lovely, quiet and peaceful morn with the mist deadening all sound.

We passed beneath the ever impressive Hazelhurst Aqueduct and through the three Hazelhurst Locks, passing the junction leading off to the Leek Branch. At Endon Bank we visited the service station, doing a wash at the same time. It had seemed a long time since we had any opportunity to dump rubbish and empty the loo. There are no a lot of facilities on this canal. Service points at Etruria and Endon Bank and a water point at Consall on the river. There is also a service point at the Froghall terminus but only a few boats would be able to reach that because of the low tunnel.

After the services, we cruised less than a mile and moored close to Post Bridge 28. From here we walked to nearby Endon Stores to try to buy coal. The proprietor was of Asian origin, barely spoke English and didn’t know what coal was!

We were moored next to a small holding over the towpath fence with some Tamworth pigs and Alpaca’s. The Alpaca’s had a Cria, a baby. Very cute looking but elusive, every time we tried to look at it, it would bolt for its mother and hide.    



Weather: a foggy start but a lovely day once the fog lifted. Rain in the evening. 



Day Total: 3 locks; 2 miles; 0 Tunnel; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 2.1  

Overall Total: 771 locks; 1348 miles; 52 tunnels; 61 Swing Bridges; 14 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 853.7hrs

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