Caldon canal walk 10th July 2011
We met in the car park of a restaurant at Cheddleton on a bright morning with the possibility of a shower. The starting point of the walk was right next to the canal itself and we set off at ten thirty at a gentle stroll.
The canal itself runs for 18 miles from Stoke to Froghall, with a three-mile branch to Leek and it was this branch that the walk started on.
The plan was not to set any records for speed marching (thank goodness) but to walk halfway there and stop for lunch at one of the Pubs dotted along the way, and then carry on to the restored railway station at Froghall and get the train back to Cheddleton.
The Leek end of the canal where we started the walk is really picturesque traveling down a sparsely populated valley with the only sign of the industrial age being the Churnet Valley Railway which runs parallel to the canal, sometimes as close as two hundred yards but more usually half a mile away. Even where the railway line was close it was difficult to see through the trees which made things interesting when a column of smoke and a great deal of noise came crashing though the forest !
The canal itself dates back to the industrial revolution and in some of the sections of the canal you could easily feel that you were back in time and we had many interesting discussions as we came across peculiar shaped bridges and canal towpaths that suddenly finished on one side of the canal and started on the other.
For example, how they manage to get the horse pulling the barge, from one side of the river to the other without un-harnessing the horse?
Easy build a ‘C’ shaped path for going across the bridge rather than a conventional one.
Clever Victorians!
After a few hours of taking in the lovely scenery and wild life (including a dog walker whose dog preferred swimming down the canal rather than walking on the towpath), we arrived at the pub where we were to have lunch.
In common with a lot of Victorian developments, this pub was close to a railway station so as we sat outside we could eat and watch the railway activity. Now I confess to having been an ‘anorak’ when I was much younger and so really appreciated the restored Steam Engines although I had forgotten the smoke and soot part of the experience!
Lunch was memorable for the size of the baguettes as well as the taste ! Alan’s lunch has now featured on the Facebook page but rest assured all of our plates were as full as his.
After lunch we carried on in the direction of Froghall and soon came across a group of anglers. Now there is nothing unusual about seeing anglers on a canal bank but as we got closer we found that this group were not catching fish but the dreaded American Crayfish which is invading our rivers and canals and destroying our smaller native crayfish.
On we walked, admiring the flocks of Canada Geese settled in the marshy land on the valley floor between the Canal and the railway until coming around a bend we came across some giant structures that reminded me of all those stories I read as a young boy about explorers finding lost cities in the jungle.
These man made structures were not as old however, they were the Consall lime kilns built into the side of the hill by the Victorians. Impressive none the less.
As we walked on towards Froghall and into the industrialized area it began to rain, fortunately by now we had arrived at the Station and could enjoy a well earned cup of tea while we waited for the train to take us back to Cheddleton.
Kevin Williams.