IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Wood Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST9 9QB

The Leek Branch, opened in 1800/01, meets the main line at Hazelhurst Junction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldon_Canal https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/caldon-canal

A lovely, "frothy", patch of Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) growing in a field between the two canals. Meadowsweet is a common flower that prefers a damp habitat, which makes this marshy site ideal for it. The purple flowers in the foreground are Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium).

Narrowboat moored on the Caldon Canal

This would have been the original gate to the Longsdon waterworks, Staffordshire Potteries Water Board was one of many independent companies taken over by the Severn Trent Water Authority in 1970's. Just out of sight to the left is the Leek Branch of the Caldon Canal.

Looking over the bridge crossing the Leek Branch of the Caldon Canal. There is an upside down bench mark on the left side of the bridge.

This small colony of Butterbur are growing next to the towpath on the Leek Branch of the Caldon Canal, for a close-up see Image Common Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is also known as Bog Rhubarb, Devil's Hat and Pestilence Wort, it is a common plant usually found growing in colonies in damp habitats. The flowers appear before the leaves in early spring and are pale pink with several inflorescences (clusters) of flowers grouped on 5 to 20 centimetre long stem. The leaves are very large with a diameter of up to a metre, supported by thick stems that can be up to 1.2 metres in length. The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called it "a great preserver of the heart and reviver of the spirits" and it has had many uses in folk medicine, recent trials have found that a preparation made with Butterbur root could be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Historically, the plant’s common name arises from the use of its leaves to wrap butter with.

A close-up of one of the plants seen in Image Common Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is also known as Bog Rhubarb, Devil's Hat and Pestilence Wort, it is a common plant usually found growing in colonies in damp habitats. The flowers appear before the leaves in early spring and are pale pink with several inflorescences (clusters) of flowers grouped on 5 to 20 centimetre long stem. The leaves are very large with a diameter of up to a metre, supported by thick stems that can be up to 1.2 metres in length. The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called it "a great preserver of the heart and reviver of the spirits" and it has had many uses in folk medicine, recent trials have found that a preparation made with Butterbur root could be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Historically, the plant’s name arises from the use of its leaves to wrap butter with.

This overflow ford/weir on the Caldon Canal is found on the Churnet Way at Horse Bridge. A video of the ford can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/PMm2Hu0QFA0?feature=shared