Another day of sun.

The mooring was very quiet over night and the sun was shining when we got under way and stayed out all day. It was very pleasant pootling up the canal at just a little over tick over and taking in the bird song and seeing the bright flowers.There was nothing moving so it made it very easy at the very narrow bridges and bends and places with not enough room to pass. We were lucky that the trains on the Churnet Valley Railway were running and we were just arriving at the Consall Forge Station when the train passed. Unfortunately we can't find the pictures. Luckily though it was a diesel train so not as bad as missing a steam train. We didn't meet anybody coming down until we had cleared the river section. A boat with some Americans aboard seemed to be quite fraught with the lack of water by the tow path side but they were struggling on.

We went up the five locks and decided to stay at the Flint Mill at Cheddleton. We left the boat and went for a couple of miles walk to find a Sunday paper and milk and wander down to the pub and Cheddleton station.

The water wheels for the two millls at the Cheddleton Mill.

The Flint Mill seemed to be open but there was nobody about. We had a little look around. It is another place that would be totally different in it's heyday. It was very nice walking in the sun and with the smell of new mown lawns and the scent of flowers. It was great to see a bit of a crowd watching a cricket match and I wish I had taken a photo now. We wanders down the hill to the canal and went over the bridge to the Churnet Valley Railway. The station is well kept and tidy. There were quite a lot of folk around too. Unfortunately there was a bit of a problem with the steam train it seems, so although it was in steam it wasn't going to be hauling anything. We had a cup of tea and enjoyed a bit of victoria sponge between us and then went over the bridge and had a pint in the Boat pub.

Cheddleton Station on the Churnet Valley Railway.

From the pub we walked up the tow path back to the boat. We saw a heron fishing on the offside. This was only the third one that we had set off on the canals. We used to see loads of them on every canal we went on. I wonder if the harsh winter weather and frozen canals have reduced their numbers greatly.

Heron near Cheddleton.