NbMuriel: HarecastleTunnel and Stoke

The night at Red Bull (Kidsgrove) was OK and a lot more appealing than the moorings closer to the tunnel, although we did have some halfwit climb on M and bang on her side during the evening. When I went up with a torch, there was no one about.

After coming up the three locks from Red Bull, we entered Harecastle Tunnel, the 2926 yard (which is 1.75 miles and takes about 40 minutes) passage through Harecastle Hill. The tunnel keeper gave a pretty thorough briefing compared to the last time we went through - he was even wearing a life preserver. We had been through the tunnel about seven years ago and at that time the keeper simply rolled a cigarette and waved us in. When I asked how far we should keep behind the boat in front he replied, "Two chevrons". This time was different and the instructions were clear:

no cooking or naked flames
keep to a good cruising speed of 3 to 4 mph; if you bounce off the sides, you're going too slowly
If you break down, give one long blast on the horn every 30 seconds, until acknowledged. They would then leave it about an hour before coming to assist with their boat, in case we managed to effect a repair & make our own way out
The tunnel is `one-way` and alternates direction depending on demand - there`s a tunnel keeper at each end
We were to enter the tunnel behind another boat 30 minutes ahead of us - the keeper at the other end wouldn`t let anyone in until we came through

We put on the tunnel light & all the interior lights & I tried to get Vera below so we'd not have to worry about her. She declined & we went straight in. After a few minutes, V decided that there wasn't much to see & went down to her bed for the rest of the way! At first the tunnel is quite spacious, but as you get in it gradually shrinks, until at about half way it's quite a tight fit. It gets a bit wet at times too.

The tunnel keeper had confirmed that there is a skeleton painted on the wall in the tunnel, & gave us it's rough location (475 yards in). We managed to spot it in the gloom & even get a flash photo.

Skeleton painted on wall

The tunnel is one of three that go through the hill, but is the only one still in use. It was built by Thomas Telford & completed in 1827. It originally had a towpath which has since been removed, so it was once an even tighter fit than it is now. The first canal tunnel was completed in 1777 (a world beating feat of engineering) and for a while both were open with one used in each direction. The original was finally closed due to subsidence. There was also a train tunnel built about 40 feet above the canal tunnels, but it was shut in the 1960s & the trains now run around the outside of the hill.

After the tunnel we turned left onto the Caldon Canal. There is a staircase lock not far from the start, where 2 locks are built adjacent to each other & the water from the top lock fills the lower lock. The botom lock is incredibly deep & the gates massive. We got through that & continued in the drizzle to Engine Lock where we stopped for the night. It had been our longest day & we were quite damp & cold by the time we got below. For the first time this trip we lit the Squirrel coal/ woodburner as well as putting the Webasto diesel heater on for an hour. It soon got nice & warm. It was a bit odd showering to the smell of wood smoke as the chimney is next to the bathroom mushroom!