Staircase lock, electric lift bridge, what next?

A few bits of excitement and a few disappointments across a very long day today. Stone was the first disappointment by not living up to past memories. A small brewery but nothing more to commend it. Stoke and Etruria also fell short. Stoke always strikes me as a place with lots of mis-spent history just waiting to be exploited. Lots of delapitated old warehouses screaming for a little sensitive updating to modern living accommodation like London docklands. A GB shortage of housing? You must be joking.

Similarly disappointing was Wedgewood estate. The old factory is being demolished and replaced by a huge housing estate. Plans are afoot to update the shop and the museum, but at the moment they are sad reflections of what they once were or will become. A museum visit will cost a whopping £10per  person. We could think of much better ways to spend £10 so returned to Tardis Two for continuation of our Trent and Mersey trip.

A sudden impulse caused us to take a sharp right onto the Caldon canal.  We had fond memories of it but we were again disappointed. The staircase locks were equally daunting and exciting, as was the electric lift road bridge. Finding a suitable mooring place proved lengthy and difficult,making today long, tiring and exhausting.

Bottle kilns at Etruria

Canal entrance to Stone.