Sunday April 22nd, Etruria - Westport Lakes

Despite a few faint misgivings about the wisdom of mooring up at Etruria Junction for 3 nights, and leaving the boat there for most of Saturday, we had a trouble free time.

Saturday was a lovely day. We had a mild panic over our first train connection at Stockport as out train from Stoke to Stockport was 5 minutes late and we only had a 5 minute limit to get the Sheffield train. Fortunately for our blood pressure, the Sheffield train was 5 minutes late as well!

We met up with youngest daughter Emma and granddaughter Ellie for lunch, before Ellie had to leave for her dance theatre class. Emma joined us later at the University Arts Centre for the show. We have always been Gilbert & Sullivan fans, having taken part in shows for many years before we came onto the canals. Our middle daughter, Kathryn, is now the third generation to step onto the boards in these shows.

To our complete surprise she had auditioned for, and got one of the smaller principal roles and had not told us a word (probably thinking that Elaine would worry). She did really well, bless her.

The return train journey was not so fraught timing wise, although we had two very noisy journeys, the first enlivened by a group of eight very happy and “mellow” 20-somethings with the cans of Fosters and the rum bottle out, the second by a very annoying group of so called football fans who thought it a great idea to “sing” loud and objectionable chants and yell and swear all the time.

We were glad to get back to the peace and quiet of the canal world and relax.

Rather than face Harecastle Tunnel and the start of the locks of Heartbreak Hill, we managed just a couple of miles on Sunday, from Etruria to Westport Lakes. It may not have been far, but for me at least, this is one of the stretches of canal most redolent of the commerce the canals brought in their wake.

After passing the marina and anonymous business units that have been built on part of the site of the old Shelton Bar steelworks, the rest of the site remains a waste clearance area. The steelworks were demolished years ago, and nothing has been done with the site on either side of the canal.

Old pottery works at Burslem

However, once past the sign signifying the hoped for restoration of the Burslem Arm, the potteries world envelopes the canal with pot banks all around, in various degrees of decrepitude. At least the old bottle or calcining kilns have preservation orders on them, but without the associated factory buildings they look out of place as in the new development just below Twyford Lock.

Middleport Pottery facade

The Middleport Pottery buildings are perhaps the best preserved. This is or was the home of Burleigh Pottery, but the whole site has just been acquired by the regeneration arm of The Prince’s Trust who have aims of preserving and restoring the site, keeping pottery production going and other ideas as well. Good luck to Charlie boy!

Most of the derelict buildings are crying out for some TLC, and hopefully someone will come along and revitalise them before they moulder and crumble away to nothing.

Westport Lake mooring

Soon, however, the views open up with new housing on one side and the open park area of Westport lakes on the other. We always like mooring here overnight before a passage through the tunnel.