Down an Arm and up a Reservoir.

We left around 10:00 and it was blustery but the rain was intermittent and light really, other than feeling like hail in the wind.

As we coiled round the hill side we could see on the opposite side of the valley the 135ft water tower of the St. Edward's Hospital. Original it was called No. 3 Staffordshire County Asylum and Cheddleton Mental Hospital. It was opened in 1899 after the design was picked from a competition. It was designed for 300 male and 300 female. The water tower was fed by a pump from a well around 100ft underground. It was a a community and more or less self contained. It was extended to take another 200 of each sex. It even had its own electric railway for 50 years from the line at the valley floor. There was also talk of its own internal currency of brass tokens. It was closed in 2002 and there is now a housing etsate on the land. Much of the original hospital was Listed and has been converted.

To give a bit of a flavour of the woods there are outcrops of rocks...

..... and swathes of bluebells.

The wind helped us round the tight corner from the Leek Arm into the top Hazelhurst lock, and the rain held off too.

But the wind was still pretty cool if you had it in your face. Helen was taking all precautions. A six layer day today.

Passing under where we had recently been is always interesting. There seem to be a bit of damage at the lower right of the structure. I hope it isn't too serious. The central plaque on the bridge says 'Hazlehurst Aqueduct, 1841'. sic. I have never noticed the difference in spelling to that used generally on the OS maps. I wonder if it was just an accident?

There was no room near the Holy Bush pub, Denford, to moor so we carried on a little further and found a place just round the corner a little. We had a bite to eat and then decided to go for a walk as the weather wasn't too bad.

We walked down the tow path to bridge 39 and walked up to the Deep Hayes Country Park that is run by Staffordshire County Council. By the canal there were some lime kilns, and up where the visitor centre is today was the Wall Grange Brick and Tile works that opened around 1890 and survived until the 1950's The centre was all locked, as were the toilets. We had the place to ourselves. There was a map with several routes marked on it. The tracks were well made and not steep.

The valley was once a reservoir that was built for the Staffordshire Potteries Waterworks Co. in 1848. Its job was to supply water to the river that had been removed to supply drinking water to the people of the Potteries. There were still many mills using the river and they had to be supplied with water to keep them working. A big earth dam was built just up from the canal, next to where the brick works would be. In 1979 the earth dam was showing signs of damage that would be too expensive to repair. Severn Trent Water decided to do away with it and obtain the water via a bore hole. It was agreed to create a country park and three pools were made with the dropped level. This is between two of the pools, and similar between at the other meeting.

The route climbs gently up the valley with steps and hand rails when required.

The path continues alongside the stream and the valley opens up a little.

The path crosses the stream now and then and occasionally you get a glimpse of red water leeching out of the valley sides in rivulets. These are chalybeate springs that are coloured as they contain iron salts. Just like at the Harecastle Tunnel.

Eventually you come to the head of the Country Park and still the route is marked and continues up the valley until the route joins up with a track at a disused car park. We then follow public footpaths back on another route.

We have probably climbed 500 feet, but you wouldn't really know it as it was steadily achieved. You have a good view across towards Longdon and the hills beyond Leek. With the showers racing through on the wind it all looks a little brooding.

The footpath takes you through Denford Farm as you drop down the valley to once again meet up with the canal.

The footpath drops through the woods on the off side of the canal and gave us a good view of 'Holderness', with the Leek Arm level visible on the other hillside. The wood was full of wood anemone and bluebells etc and brings you out where the limekilns once were, just by the bridge over the canal, and a short walk back along the canal brings us back to the boat for a cup of tea.