A Chilly Escape to the Trent & Mersey

It’s been a very wet and cold start to 2025. We are on a safe mooring in Stoke-on-Trent and thankful for the peace of mind that comes with that. Our hearts truly go out to everyone who’s been affected by the recent floods around the UK. It’s a been a huge reality check for us; whilst we always do our homework when choosing a waterway to live on for a period of time, things can happen that are just beyond your control. It has been heartbreaking to see the recent breach on the Bridgewater Canal. During the previous couple of years we have moored in the exact spot where the canal has collapsed and we recognise some the boats that are stranded there. 

At the start of January, we were actually more concerned with being frozen in on the Macclesfield and not getting past a planned stoppage. So having seen the weather forecast, we brought our plans forward a bit. We had a frantic day getting the boat past the location of the planned stoppage, before waiting for our booked southbound passage through Telford’s Harecastle Tunnel. With a maximum width of 8ft (244cm) and a height restriction of 7ft 7inches (231cm) it’s quite narrow and claustrophobic. It’s about 1.6miles (2.67km) long and takes about 40 minutes to pass though. We used to think you have to let your fire go out before you’re allowed in as the air circulation is so poor and there’s a potential risk of fire if gas accumulates. When it’s this cold it can take ages to get the boat warmed up again, so it was a huge relief to discover, a couple of years ago, that the fire could stay in, just with no active flames.

Now we’re moored up by Westport Lake in Stoke-on-Trent on the Trent & Mersey Canal and biding our time whilst some stoppages ahead of us are being completed, so what to do to pass the time? Decorate the boat of course!! We have prepared for this activity but not been overly keen to start it. The plan is actually to make the whole of the inside of the boat to feel lighter and brighter by painting the ceiling panels and the upper half of the walls with an off-white emulsion (it’s quite trendy apparently!). 

This is the first time that we’ve attempted any type of interior decorating on the boat and a few extra problems are evident. For starters, we’ve chosen to begin in the worst area possible, the bathroom (yes, it is the size of a wardrobe). As the boat is jam packed with all our worldly goods, there’s nowhere to put the stuff from the section that you’re decorating, the angles of the walls are awkward and, if there’s someone else moving around the boat (and that includes the dog) then doing a straight edge when the boat suddenly wobbles is challenging! Hopefully the rest of the boat will be less stressful. At least the loo will always be available!

The outside temperatures have been dropping to -8 Celsius (17.6 Fahrenheit) at night. So we’re currently iced in and the ice is too thick to break! When we move around the boat the ice sheet creaks and scrapes against the hull. The noise is freaking the poor dog out and she’s clinging to our legs. To be honest she’s getting older and not keen on having cold paws either, so after a wander around the lake we got all tucked up by the fire and watched the latest Wallace & Gromit film, Vengence Most Fowl. No spoilers, but we do love the familiar locations (especially if you like the Llangollen Canal) and the “high speed” chase at the end is hilarious!