Bargecade 2023.

Boats (2) : Fjord Viscount & Fjord Emperor, Andersen Boats, Middlewich

Crews :

Fjord Viscount - Stan, Pete W, Jay, Nellie, Richard. They were joined by Ian [Nellie's son] for 2 nights and by JT for 3 nights.
Fjord Emperor - Peter H, Gerald, Ben, James. They were joined by Paul and Alan for 3 nights.

Route : Middlewich > Wheelock > Kidsgrove > Hanley > Denford > Cheddleton > Froghall [to wind] > Cheddleton > Leek > Stoke [outskirts] > Stoke [Festival Park Marina] > Scholar Green [on the Macclesfield Canal] > Kidsgrove > Wheelock > Middlewich.

Coverage : 79.7 miles and 104 locks.

Notes: This was to be Pete W's second Bargecade. The original plan was to do both The Leek & Caldon Canals, and if time and C&RT's [mis-]management of the canal system permitted, a short trip on The Macclesfield Canal. This year, the plan actually went to plan !

Sadly, we were to be without Palle this year as he passed away last year.

Saturday 29th April

Lunch : Middlewich. We arrived in Middlewich and were parked at the boatyard by about 11:45. We made our way to The White Bear where we had all agreed to meet. Once the tokens had been constructed and tested over the course of several rounds, we returned to the boatyard where we loaded the boats, had the handover and set off. Having climbed the first four locks in Middlewich, we moored up above King's Lock by The King's Lock pub, and stopped there for a little light refreshment.

The White Bear, Middlewich.

Evening : Wheelock. We eventually departed from The King's Lock in Middlewich at about 17:00, arriving in Wheelock at about 19:30. After eating on the boat, we went to The Cheshire Cheese for beer and karaoke... well, maybe not specifically for the karaoke, but it could not be escaped from.

Sunday 30th April

Lunch : Kidsgrove. We left Wheelock at about 07:00 and began the climb of "Heartbreak Hill" up towards Harecastle Tunnel. One unusual C&RT sign was spotted, which read 'Cadwch y cwch o flaen marciwr y rhiniog' on one of the lock balance beams at Malkin's Bank locks. Interestingly, google translates this as 'Keep the boat in front of the rhino marker' although one assumes it's meant to be the welsh for 'Keep boat forward of cill marker' . This is probably fortunate as there do not appear to be many rhinos in Cheshire.

Rhinos ? ...in Cheshire ? Nicholson's doesn't mention anything about rhinos !

After an otherwise uneventful journey, we arrived in Kidsgrove and moored between Locks 41 & 42, from where we repaired to The Blue Bell for a little light sustenance after the 12.75 mile and 30 lock climb.

Afternoon : Harecastle Tunnel. We were booked to go through Harecastle Tunnel at 16:00. Following a recent fatality, it is now mandatory for the steerer to wear a life jacket - and very fetching Stan looked in his bright orange "Michelin Man" suit !

Evening : Hanley. After passing through Harecastle Tunnel, we turned on to The Caldon Canal at Etruria Junction, climbed the staircase [Locks 1 & 2] and eventually up moored on the moorings by Bridge 8. We walked down to Hanley where we had the evening session in The Coachmakers Arms. After the pub closed, most of the crews retired to the boats, but James & Ben decided to go for some more beer. They first found another pub, then ended up in a nightclub where they eventually became separated. James returned to the boat alone, but with Ben's phone, which he had dropped at some point during the evening. Ben did not make it back to the boat that night.

Monday 1st May

Morning : Still in Hanley. Since Ben had still not yet returned to the boat, and we knew he did not have his phone with him, we became concerned that something might have happened to him. Peter H tried ringing both The Police and the local Hospital, but neither would [..or could..] confirm that they had custody of him or even seen him. After waiting until about 10:00 to see if he would turn up, we all decided to set off.

Lunch : Denford. We stopped to take water at the services at Park Lane Bridge [Br. 31] near Endon. This took quite some time as the water level in the tank was very low indeed, which led us to suspect that it had not been filled by the boatyard. We eventually arrived at The Hollybush Inn at Denford. We arrived here quite late for a lunchtime stop, due to the late start from Hanley and the long stop for water. After a few pints here, Ben arrived. He had managed to find his way back to the mooring in Hanley, only to find us gone, so he set off walking after us. When he got to Hazelhurst Junction, he had to guess which way we'd gone... Luckily, he guessed correctly. After another couple of pints, we set off for Cheddleton.

Moored up at The Hollybush, Denford...

... and preparing to leave The Hollybush

Evening : Cheddleton. After the late start, the long water stop, the stop at Denford and eating on the boat, it was already dark before we set off for The Black Lion. We walked past The Red Lion then climbed the steep hill up to The Black Lion. This is where Pete W got rather confused.. He was convinced that this was the other Black Lion [at Consall Forge] and he could not understand why it was not as he remembered it. It was eventually explained over several beers. After several pints here, and watching the little dog sit up to the table on the bar stool, we eventually made our way back down the hill to the boat.

The performing dog in

The Black Lion at Cheddleton

Tuesday 2nd May

Morning : Froghall Tunnel. Froghall Tunnel is very low in places and is generally too low for most modern boats. There is a [nominal] 65' winding hole just before the tunnel so that boats which can't fit through the tunnel can wind. The sign at Flint Mill Lock [Lock 17] advises that boats which will not fit through the tunnel should not proceed any further if they are over 65' long, as they may not be able to wind. Lock 17 also has a tunnel profile marker so that any boat passing through the lock will know whether or not they can fit through the tunnel. Despite both of our boats not being able to fit through the tunnel [..as demonstrated by hitting the profile marker..] we were still determined to get to Froghall, even if it meant reversing all the way back. One suggested plan had been for the boats to lash up stern-to-stern with the forward-facing boat towing the other in each direction. The other boat arrived at the lock well before we did, and by the time we got to the lock, they had already arrived at Froghall and had managed to wind successfully, so we decided to follow them. Despite both boats being a nominal 69' in length, they both managed to wind successfully in the [nominally] 65' winding hole. It is tight, and the stem post of the boat has to be right in the centre of the winding hole. If it's off by even a couple of inches, the boat won't turn.

This sign just before Flint Mill Lock advises that boats which will not fit through Frogall Tunnel [which is most boats] and that are over 65' long should not proceed, and should wind here.

Our boats were nominally 69' and both winded successfully.

Approaching Cherry Eye Bridge after winding just before Froghall Tunnel.

Lunch : Cheddleton. After winding at Froghall Tunnel, we returned to Cheddleton. We passed The Black Lion at Consall Forge at about 11:30, but it was still closed after the fire. It now appears to open only at weekends. We had hoped that with it being a Bank Holiday weekend it might be open, but no such luck.

Passing The Black Lion at Consall Forge.

It now only opens at weekends following the fire there in September 2022

We continued on toward Cheddleton and to The Boat Inn where we moored on the pub's mooring. The other boat moored just beyond the bridge [Br. 42]. Whilst in the pub, partaking of a little light refreshment, the landlord informed us that a C&RT volunteer was concerned that the other boat was blocking the canal. It was moored fairly close to another boat moored on the offside. This volunteer even suggested that a wide boat might not be able to pass ! A wide boat ? What the **** is he on about ? was the general consensus of opinion. Unless someone was to crane one in specially, there's not going to be a wide boat up here !

A short while later, another hire boat [..which we had passed several times..] came along, and they got through the gap with absolutely no problem whatsoever. It was all a bit of a storm in a beer glass caused by an over-zealous C&RT volunteer.

Evening : Leek. We left Cheddleton and headed for Leek. We climbed Hazelhurst Locks at about 18:30, then successfully negotiated Hazelhurst Junction, thanks to both some enthusiastic polling from Jay, and some enthusiastic swinging from Richard and his magic swing..

Some enthusiastic polling by Jay at the front of the boat, ably assisted by Richard and his magic swing managed to get the boat round the extremely tight Hazelhurst Junction.

On arrival in Leek, we made the long walk into the town only to end up getting separated. After investigating several pubs, Pete W & Stan ended up in The Red Lion at about 21:00, only to be told it was going to shut at 21:30 ! Richard then arrived saying that Ian [..Nellie's son, who was to join the crew for a couple of days..] was about to leave the pub across the road, and that the other crew were all in The Wilkes Head, so we all headed there. An excellent session followed. Due to the long walk, we decided to get a taxi back to the boat. Richard picked up a pizza as we hadn't eaten that evening, and James [..off the other boat..] arrived carrying three pizzas - just in time for him and the pizzas to squeeze into the taxi with us. The other crew insisted on walking back. It transpired that the other crew didn't actually want any pizza, so we had to selflessly volunteer to eat their three pizzas as well as our own one.

Wednesday 3rd May

Lunch : Stoke [somewhere in the outskirts]. After leaving Leek, we headed back up The Leek Branch, over Hazelhurst Aqueduct to Hazelhurst Junction, then back on to The Caldon Canal again. We passed through Stockton Brook, but it was still a little bit too early for the pubs to be open. More annoyingly, according to the CAMRA GBG app, many of them seemed not to want to open at lunchtimes at all. We continued to Bridge 13 where we moored. We then walked through an estate to The Northwood on the wonderfully-named Botany Bay Road, where were to met up with JT , who was to join our crew, and Paul and Alan who were to join the other boat's crew. After a session of rehydration therapy, we set off for Festival Park.

Evening: Stoke [Festival Park]. After leaving The Northwood, we took on water at Etruria Junction - and after somehow managing to lose the water tank filler cap, we turned back on to The Trent & Mersey canal and headed for Festival Park Marina. We moored up by The Toby Carvery. It transpired that Nellie had a group discount voucher valid for up to 10 people for a meal here. As there were 11 of us, after some negotiation, we all ate, and still got the specified discount. After eating, we then repaired to The Holy Inadequate for a few more beers - but due to the size of the meal we'd just had, not quite as many beers were supped as usual.

The Holy Inadequate - outside...

... and inside.

Thursday 4th May

Lunch : Scholar Green [on The Macclesfield Canal] We left Stoke and headed for Harecastle Tunnel. After the obligatory safety talk, and Stan again donning his orange "Michelin Man" suit, we passed through the tunnel, emerging at about 10:30 at Hardings Wood Junction, where we turned on to The Macclesfield Canal. We passed through Hall Green stop lock and headed for Scholar Green, where we winded. We then repaired to The Rising Sun for some lunchtime refreshment.

The Rising Sun at Scholar Green.

Evening : Kidsgrove. Suitably refreshed, we left The Rising Sun and headed back down The Macclesfield Canal towards Hardings Wood Junction. Whilst our boat negotiated the junction successfully, the other boat made a fortunately unsuccessful attempt to to re-design the bank opposite the junction. We dropped down Lock 41 then moored up. After eating, we repaired to The Blue Bell for the evening. There was a strange pub game ongoing where the aim was to bang a nail into a barrel end using the thin end of a small hammer. Needless to say, no one was much good at it. The pub was supposed to close at 22:00 but after some negotiation, it finally closed at 23:00.

It never ceases to amaze why some pubs insist on closing early, or not even opening at all.

An open pub might not make much money, but a closed pub makes none at all.

A nice pint in a nice glass at The Blue Bell.

Friday 5th May

Lunch : Wheelock. We left Kidsgrove and headed on down "Heartbreak Hill" back towards Wheelock. We had moored up by 12:00 and were in The Cheshire Cheese shortly after. A long afternoon session ensued while we sheltered from the heavy rain showers and the thunderstorms. On a couple of occasions, we were just thinking about leaving when the rain, lightning & thunder returned and forced us to re-evaluate our life choices - and have another round.

Evening : Middlewich. We eventually managed to extricate ourselves from The Cheshire Cheese, and left Wheelock. Luckily, the rain held off, and we had an uneventful trip back to Middlewich. We moored on the visitor moorings just above King's Lock, and after eating, we repaired to The King's Lock. The pub was hot, noisy and packed, and we ended up drinking outside on the picnic tables until the pub had quietened down a bit. Maybe it's a sign of age, but by this time, some of the crew seemed decidedly jaded. Both Stan and Nellie failed completely, and Pete W failed shortly before closing time.

Saturday 6th May

Morning : Back at the boatyard. As we had to have the boat back at the boatyard no later than 9:00 am, we decided to leave early and get it back early, in order to give us some time to clean it up. We were up and ready to leave at 07:30 when a Police Officer approached us and asked whether we had seen anyone hanging around either last night or this morning. It appeared that a young chap had phoned The Police saying he was by King's Lock, that he had nothing left to live for and that he was going to do himself in... She asked us to keep an eye out for him, which we did, but no one on the boat saw anyone matching the description.

We arrived back at the boatyard well before 08:30. On arrival, it was all closed up, but some staff soon arrived to open up. We cleaned the boat up, unloaded and by 09:20, we said our goodbyes and left.

Back at the boatyard - relatively unscathed.

Saturday Lunch : For the first time in 31 years, Pete W and his passengers [...in this case, Stan..] did not call at The Karachi in Bradford for a curry on the way back. As they was so early leaving the boatyard, they passed the M606 Bradford turn-off at about 10:30, which meant they would have had to hang about in Bradford for an hour-and-a-half just waiting for it to open.

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