Tyrley Top Lock

Just as we were off to bed last night the moon was almost setting and just visible above the hedgerow across the canal.

For some reason we set off at nine AM this morning and it worked well, We met a boat at the first lock but had to turn the second then onto the 5 Adderley Locks when a boat had just left the locks.

As we went up there was another coming down, looking behind us there were already 4 queued down below the bottom lock and we had a clean run up meeting just one more.
When we passed this way on our way North this stretch of bank was protected by a removable dam, this is the finished job.

We met several moor ex-working boats throughout the day.
This farm must have been quite prosperous in its day, with a large,square farm house and large brick outbuildings set out like a large letter L

Approaching Market Drayton I could see this house in the distance, not sure what was happening on their roof.

CRT have a lot of activity in Market Drayton, we met them pushing a flat which they moored outside a second flat on the visitor moorings then just through the bridge by the old warehouse there were several moor flats and another tug. In the yard were two large articulated lorries unloading pallets of material.

 

On our way out I noticed a Narrowboat with UPVC portholes, I have seen Narrowboats with UPVC windows many times but this is the first I have seen with portholes.

At Tyrley Locks we caught up with another boat and although they had to turn the bottom lock again we met boats all the way up so all locks were with us.

Part way up the flight are some picknick tables and someone has been thoughtful enough to put a waste bin beside them, it looks to be working as the area looked quite clean.

One of the lock side cottages has a wonderful display of flowers in hanging baskets and on the fence. They also have a large information notice on the wall about the old stables that were there.

Just as we finished working the lock a little Blue motor pulled off the road beside it. it was Muriel and Jerry who live on a boat further along the canal, and they had arrived to make use of the services, what's left of them. We were able to have quite a chat before moving on the the 48 hour visitor moorings for the night.

Today’s Journey 7 miles with 12 locks in 5 hours

Coxbank

Last night we had some lovely sky’s with the clouds reflecting on the canal. These were taken around 10 o’clock, the second on on my phone.

 

What a day, we were about to set off with a nice clear canal and what happens, the chap behind gets me talking, as we are about to push off a Hudson boat comes by so I had visions of following him up Audlem but he turned into Overwater Marina.The Marina are doing their bit raising the profile of Fund the Waterways.

There was a boat ahead of us at the bottom of the flight but a steady flow of boats coming down. While I waited I was able to get this photo, there is normally a boat moored across the front of the cottages.

Things went well as far as the water point  just below the pub, which is where the congestion started then the pound above the pub it just got  worse so we pulled over for lunch. An hour and a quarter later we set off and still caught up with them all around lock 7. I understand at times they had three boats in a pound which caused a tangle with the odd boat coming down. We gave up before the last two locks and called it a day on the 48 hour moorings.
Of course there has been a quick walk up to the top lock to purchase a few goodies for later.

Todays Journey

 

3 miles with 13 locks in 4¾ hours

Coole Pilate

Last night we enjoyed two good meals and a bottle of red in The Old Barbridge Inn. There were very few people in the restaurant but that said that the whole week had been very busy, lots of people eating in the garden.
We left a little before 10 Am. and had just pulled away when Matt came up behind us with a pair of boats heading for Audlem. The temporary pumps that are being used to pump water up from the SU to Herleston reservoir didn’t appear to be running as we passed. The Herleston lock flight remains closed, I am not sure if this is to do with problems with the locks or lack of water above them .

We stopped at the services in Nantwich to dispose of recycling and top up with water. I bought a new metal tap connector for the hose in Lidl the other day and I must say it works well. easy to screw and unscrew from the tap, plus the hose latches easily with no leaks, I will keep the plastic ones as spares. While we were here Minow towing Iford came by.

   
We followed them up to the Hack Green locks where we helped them all through including the boat behind us that was with them. The locks were quite busy with boats passing every time, so efficient use of the water, having said that both the pound between the locks and the long pound above it are running on weir. Once up the locks we did about a mile before stopping at  the SUCS picknick site for the night.

Today’s Journey 7¼ Miles with 2 locks in 4¼ hours

Barbridge

A little late getting away this morning. First thing it was foggy and the morning remained very overcast and no where near as hot as previous days. we even had 5 minutes of drizzle and the sun only popping out now and again.The pound to Minshull lock was several inches off weir and we heard repeated tails

of boats stuck, no water etc. One boat said he had turned back, anther said water levels were very low ahead, not sure how they can be lower in one part of the pound to the other. You can see the base of the wall here, but you just need to keep away from it.
I had been told today was the Aqueduct Marina grand duck race, I am not sure if these were the main field, stragglers at the end of just checking the course before the race started.

As we approached Minshull lock I could see it was running on weir, so the level above would be good, I thought being a shortish pound it may be down. CRT are in the process of re-piling the lock moorings here below the lock.

To ensure boaters don’t waste water at locks it looks as if CRT are employing  supervisors to keep an eye on us.

A few weeks ago the canal was closed while nannies Bridge was repaired, I wonder how long it will be before this one requires attention.

It was nice to travel along a pound so full of water, but after Cholmondeston Lock we were on the Shropshire Union level and this is a few inches down. At Barbridge Junction we turned left on the SU, it looks as if CRT have recently replaced the notice on the bridge.

We have a table booked at The Barbridge Inn for this evening so have moored for the night against there gardens. Thankfully there are no longer boats staying here indefinitely and customers can get a mooring for the night.

Today’s Journey 7½ miles with 2 locks in 3½ hours.

Wimboldsley

It was quite hazy when we set off at 10 this morning but things soon brightened up. When we came the other way last week I didn’t appreciate it was Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men with Weed floating around in the cut.

Just after this we realised we had a stowaway onboard, a tiny Toad probably smaller than a 50p piece was legging it around on a very dry boat roof. it was captured and put safely ashore in the long grass beside the canal.

Wincham Wharf was quite congested, the wide beam with the overstaying ticket was still on the towpath 48hr moorings and had been joined by another, Narrowboats were three abreast on the off side and we met a poor hire boat as we came through the bridge, he did very well.

Passing through Broken Cross this Swan had all the cygnets lined up for inspection.

We came up Middlewich Big Lock with another boat who was doing it backwards. He had gone down yesterday and couldn’t find any shade so was coming up to moor by The Newton Brewery. We stopped by the park for lunch and a visit to Lidl. We had considered calling it a day there but I was concerned about water levels up the three locks with the Cheshire Lock being closed. Shopping done we set off, not one of the knitted bollard covers has been vandalised which surprised me. There is one on every post. A little further on there are a couple of interesting looking trucks behind a very high fence, if there hadn’t been a boat there I would have stopped and climbed on the boat roof.

We had a good run at the three locks, a boat had just left the bottom, but it had filled a little bit, a boat was coming down the middle lock and as we finished the middle lock a boat was coming down the top lock. All the pounds were down a bit all the way to Kings Lock and a went aground swinging into the Wardle Canal. As we arrived at Stanthorne Lock a cruiser was coming down. They had just bought the boat at Ellesmere Port and were heading to Liverpool with it with no clue about the Bridgewater being closed, just using a map on the phone. There was also a second boat waiting to come down so that made life even easier. We passed this nice pair of ex-working boats, we last saw them at the top of Anderton Lift last weekend.

Photos are much better with the light in the right place. Then passed the long term offside farm moorings, it looks as if the farm suffered a fire in the barn. HS2 was planned to cross here .

On a bit further and look to moor further from the railway than last time. We can still hear it but no where near so bad.
Had we have moored in Middlewich we would have tried to book a table at the Badger tomorrow night, but now we this far I have booked a table at Barbridge Inn.

 

Today’s Journey 12 miles with 6 locks in 5¾ hours

Marston

Bit of a late start, we had the dawn chorus about midnight when something upset all the roosting birds so didn’t wake up too early. It was almost 11am before we set off. I knew it was going to be hot when I saw all these cows in the shade.

We arrived at Saltersford Tunnel just after mid day so had a little over twenty minutes to wait for our window at 12-30 , I think there were only two carvings last time we came this way.

We had a clear run through Barnton tunnel which is not timed entry, first come first served and stopped for lunch just through bridge 202. We don’t normally stop but we needed a pump out at Anderton Marina and didn’t want to get there at lunch time, 2Pm and we were off again. There was a land slide by bridge 201 back in 2021 and the footbridge is still closed 5 years later.

 

the canal channel is marked by buoys , I am not sure why they are on the towpath side, I can understand them being the other side where the water is shallow .

Passing the boat lift even the visitor centre was closed when we passed, two of the ex-working boats  have left the top basin and made there way back to the River via Chester and the Manchester Ship Canal. it would have been 15 minutes in the lift. We carried on to Anderton Marina where they emptied the black tank for us, somehow we also bought a couple of ice creams. We then went over to the CRT services on the other side of the canal to fill with water and dispose of recycling before heading off to moor a short way before the salt Museum. A Cormorant followed us most of the way, diving and swimming behind us, when we got further away he would fly to catch us up and the dive just behind us, maybe we disorientated the fish.

 

As a foot note, the cows weren't wrong about the weather and its been another stinker. It is now playing havoc with the canal water levels so we are having to consider out route home.

Today’s Journey

7 miles with no locks in 3¾ hours

Dutton

Our original plan for this morning was to leave the mooring at 10 and go through Preston Brook tunnel at 1030am. But then we thought now we are here we may as well go to the end of the Runcorn arm and back. The Bridgewater company don't seem to have a problem putting barriers to help control towpath traffic.

We only met a couple of boats as we made our way towards the end, but there is development along most of the towpath side land with footpaths closed. Last time we were this way there was a company making canoes in this building, now it looks empty.

It looks as if the mural has been repainted in the past 4 years from how bright it is .

We went to the end and winded, there were two boats, a wide beam and a Narrowboat belonging to Unlock Runcorn who are working to restore the locks from the end of the arm down to the Manchester Ship Canal.
We decided not to stop at the end but just wind and head back to Preston Brook junction. There use to be a small canal side garden centre which is now closed and up for sale, it has a very nice mooring but as it not been used the lilies have taken over.

We arrived at the entrance to Preston Brook Tunnel  at about ten to two outside out passage window so had to wait until two thirty before we could enter. I got one very poor shot of the repairs part way through the tunnel which are basically a concrete box. It collapsed in 1981.

As we came to the other end of the tunnel Diana noticed we were chasing a duck, I hope we hadn’t chased it all the way from Preston Brook.

A couple of years ago a boat got into the tunnel at Preston Brook and then got wedged which required the fire brigade to get them out. Ahead was Dutton Lock which was against us, all 20mm of it. The tunnel is 4M wide but Dutton lock is probably only 3M. which limits the size of boats that can access the T&M canal. We probably only did another mile when we spotted a row of mooring rings on a concrete edging, all in the shade.

Today’s Journey

12 miles with 1 lock in 5 hours