Friday 12 July 2013

Tuesday 9th July 2013

A lovely view to wake up to and another glorious day.

Now we turned down into the locks and headed towards Froghall passing under the aquaduct. We reached here mid afternoon. The journey has been described in one guide book as having an Amazonian sense of solitude and the temperature this afternoon was certainly approaching those levels- but not the humidity. Forests all along the route which come right down to the canal, a wonderful smell of wild garlic and it is hard to believe that there are busy roads and towns not far away. 
About a mile before the terminal basin you pass under a bridge with a gauge hanging down. This allows you to check whether your boat will be able to pass through the final tunnel and into the basin.

Ours couldn't so we moored at the final winding hole and walked the rest of the way. In the past Froghall was the centre of industry with limestone being brought down to the wharf and loaded into narrowboats.

Lime kilns remain and although there were also copper works, of which one factory still seemed to be working, the general area looks like this.

During the war the site was turned over to munitions. The Luftwaffe tried to bomb it but couldn't find it amongst the many trees.

We cruised back to The Black Lion at Consall Forge for dinner and this time our companions were free roaming hens and a couple of cockerels !








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