Froghall turned out to be nothing of interest, so I followed the A524 west, and switched north to Cheddleton on the A520, intending to get to Leek and head for home. Cheddleton turned out to be one of those random stops that drops a photographic opportunity in the proverbial lap – the Churnet Valley Railway passes through Cheddleton, and stops to pick up passengers from the Victorian-era station. It normally isn’t in service in January, but I had the fortune of catching a training session for one of the steam engines – Thomas the Tank Engine comes to the line in February, and normal service starts in March – so seeing a steam train on the line in January is indeed sheer luck.

I stopped for lunch at the Boat Inn – a pub right on the Caldon Canal – and enjoyed a fairly decent lasagne and chips for just over a fiver. I also discovered, much to my chagrin, that the door to the men’s toilet had been freshly painted a few days before, and hadn’t been sanded down to stop it binding. Getting locked in a stall with no handle on the inside is an interesting experience – and it’s amazing what you can do with a 2-pound coin when you need to open a door.

I only realised while I was processing my photos from the day that the steam train I saw in Cheddleton was going backwards. I had wondered why it had a square front! Pictures of the train, and other assorted pictures can be found in the gallery.