Page revised 4 September 2000 

The 2000/2001 Guide to The Caldon Canal

Editors:	David Salt and Michael Beardmore
Publisher:	The Caldon Canal Society
Available by Post from:	The Old Furnace, Greendale, Oakamoor, North Staffordshire, ST10 3AP Cheques payable to "The Old Furnace".  Add 75p P&P
Format:	An A5 sized, guide, with full colour cover and many black and white photographs.

General Comments:

I was disappointed to find this guide lacks a contents page or index which, perhaps, makes the bold page number in the grey strip down each page redundant.  It opens with the Society's president's foreword and then moves to describe the length of the canal, section by section, starting from Etruria Junction.

The guide is in a two column format, the outer columns on each page reserved for the many photographs, typically two or three to the page.  Where there are not photographs advertisements for local business are to be found.  These all appear to be placed on the appropriate page for the part of the canal being covered, so they enhance, rather than detract, from the information provided in the text.

There are three nicely drawn maps at appropriate points in the guide.  However, there does appear to have been an oversight in the preparation of the text of the guide, as each has a number of bold numbers on them.  These obviously refer to some point of interest in the area but the only key is provided on the back of a flyer provided with the guide which contains an application form to join the Caldon Canal Society.

At the back of the guide there are two tables.  The first of these offers a brief history of the canal and the second lists the facilities to be found.  This lists: Banks, Calor Gas, Canalside Pubs, Chemists, Launderettes, Lock Dimensions, Petrol, Post Offices, Provisions, Refuse Disposal, Sanitary Stations, Telephones, Tourist Information Centres, Tunnel Dimensions, Water Points, Weather and Winding Holes.

Some of the information in this last appendix is a bit vague.  For instance of Frohall Tunnel, it simply less "Headroom less than 6ft", when the BW sign at the winding point in Froghall clearly states the profile required to pass through the tunnel is a cabin top not wider than 5'6" and not more than 4'8" above the waterline.  For Leek Tunnel it says "Headroom 6'6"", but I'm 6'3" and could stand on the counter of my boat with what I recall as a couple of feet, of space above me.

In spite of these disappointments, the guide is a worthwhile read and provides far more information and history about the canal than Nicholson's offers.  At the price it is good value for money.

Reviewed by: Greg Chapman