Moston

It was so warm last night we went to bed with the engine room offside doors wide open and the rear slid slightly ajar.
This morning the first job was a trip to Tesco to stock up on essentials as shopping will be a bit limited from now and with the heat the beer shocks were falling. The end result it was twenty to twelve when we left. We chugged slowly passed the row of moored boats down to Northgate stair case locks meeting a boat on the way, so not only was the top chamber full but so were both top gates with at least three Volockies on duty. As well as the boat we met there was one going down ahead so the middle and bottom chamber were already empty.
When working boats were using these locks the wall below the cill of the top chamber was protected by heavy cast iron plated radiused to match the wall, Today only part of them remain.

The gates at the top of the middle chamber are rather unusual as they have steps cut into them.

Also in the middle chamber is this level gauge. If you are coming up the flight the water level in this chamber must be in the green before you you move from the lower to the middle chamber, any less and you may ground crossing the cill, any more and you may flood the chamber over the towing path, like a boat did last week.

After leaving the lock you pass under the railway bridge before a right angle right turn under another bridge. I have never checked but I am guessing this is a pathway cantilevered over the canal.

We chugged along for a bit before calling it a day at Moston. Tomorrow night we have to be at Ellesmere Port ready for going onto the Ship Canal on Friday morning.
So we are sitting here having lunch and there is a huge roar, I stick my head out of the doors and right over our heads is another Beluga on his approach run to Broughton just across the River Dee. it’s the second one we have seen today. I have since found this site which shows where they are but there is no timetable, they fly as required.
 Airbus BelugaXL Tracker | Live Beluga Aircraft Map | BelugaWatch

Today’s Journey

 

3¼ miles with 3 locks(staircase) in 1½ hours.

Chester

After a lot of deliberation we decided that this morning we would turn round and go back the Tattenhall Marina for a DIY pump out, the winding hole was about 100 yards ahead or us and the marina entrance about 250 Yards behind is. So just after 9 we set off and did the necessary. There are sone interesting craft moored there.

It was even hotter today and we erected the Bimini which I really should have done a couple of days ago. We were soon onto the Golden Nook Moorings, I am not sure how often the bus comes this way,

Something I was not expecting was to meet a wide beam coming the other way, it all went surprisingly well. One thing I noticed was he had a tiller extension like you have on a sailing dingy so that he could look down the side of the hull. We also passed a boat with an interesting figurehead.

I am not quite sure why someone would go to the trouble of having a glass fence put along the canal side and then plant a hedge behind it so you cant see anyway.

I wonder how many times the walls of the locks have been rebuilt over the years.

We have been under this bridge 3 times in the passed few weeks and this Roller looks as if it hasn’t moved. Parked in the same spot.

The Mill Hotel has what looks like duck houses along the edge of the canal, but its so clean I cant imagine any ducks using it.

We had hoped to moor just before Cow Bridge as usual but it was packed and we had to go through the bridge and below the walls. Here is a shot from the walls as we went for dinner in Chester Market which is full of food outlets.

 

Today’s Journey

 

7¾ miles with 5 locks in 6 hours

Tattenhall

 

Moored up last night and these three came by, ideal weather for it. It also turned out that the owners of

Nb.Simply Messing are followers of my blog, so thought I would give them a quick mention

We set of at 9-15 this morning as I thought the ex Challenger boat was about to go but I was wrong and Simply Messing had gone earlier. Down at the Banbury Staircase Lock two boats were just entering to go down and one was ready to come up, so it was the Bunbury Shuffle. By the time they had finished locking we were joined by another boat coming down, one of the waterway celebrities.

Once the upcoming boat cleared we both went in and closed up only to find that two boats were entering the bottom, so one of them backed out and we did the shuffle. We carried on sharing with Arthur (the singer not the boat) At the Iron Lock we both went down together as Arthur’s boat is quite short but it was still tight on the bulge, more so than when I did it a few years back alongside  a full length working boat.
The Floating Pennywort is spreading, much more visible than a couple of weeks back

Arthur stopped at The Shady Oak, which now calls itself “The Shady” and we pushed on heading for the Cheshire Cat, but the heat got the better of us as we passed Tattenhall Marina where we pulled over in the shade.

Today’s Journey 8 miles with 6 locks in 4 hours

Calverley

We set off heading south for a bit crossing the aqueduct, it had lot of restoration work done on it a few years back but they left all the wear from the towing lines as its part of the history.

We had to carry on until we came to the wide, just south of the town where we could wind and retrace our steps. On the way we passed this boat, twice.

I rather liked what looks like a magnetic sign but maybe its painted.
At Henhull Bridge we could see the repaired wooden railings that CRT had their boat moored to last week while working there.

I think the white posts on the bank of the reservoir are there to monitor ground water levels and leakage, it looks as if the bank has slumped at some point above them.

Before Stokenhall Bridge there is a length of offside long term moorings, like many others these look quite empty but one of them with no boat today had a rather elegant carved owl.(sorry about the tree)

Just before Bremilow's bridge 100 one of the houses has an above ground Koi Pond and I spotted this beauty swimming around as we passed.

There was nothing moored at the pub but we looked on line for a table and 1730 was the latest on offer, well it is Sunday so we are now moored in the same spot as two night ago.

So today we have done almost exactly the reverse of yesterday but I have still written a page of drivel about it.

 

Today’s journey 7 miles with no locks in 3 hours

Nantwich Embankment

We were just about to set off when what happens, 3 boats show up so we waited until they were all gone before pushing off, the last one, a hire boat caught me out as they shouted “Pip and Mick send their regards” When we got to the Calverley Services they were stopped taking water, we pulled in ahead to top up and dump rubbish so had a chat. Turned out they use to own a boat and at one time moored at Golden Nook, today they were taking the grand kids out on a hire boat. Once we had done the rubbish and filled with water we were off.
One of the houses has built an extension but for some reason they have thatched it, it looks nice but is completely out of keeping with the property.

The garage now has a large canal side sign advertising their wares, I don't remember it coming down.

  At Barbridge Junction the wooden sign is in need of a dab of paint to freshen it up, it looks a bit sad at the moment, as we passed there was a boat coming up the Middlewich Arm so I was able to indicate it was all clear for him to come out. He followed us for a bit until I pulled over and waved him by, we were in no hurry and happy at 3 MPH which is the minimum speed for maximum battery charging.
The Hurleston locks are open again, they were closed when we came down this way last week, well 9 days actually but you wouldn’t think it from the number of boats on the same 48 hr moorings. It looks as if the towing path is subsiding along this stretch and a couple of the bags have slipped in.Thankfully we didn’t need the services in Nantwich as they were queuing up for them  with boats both sides. We found a spot to moor a short way before the aqueduct, bit of a spider web with our ropes as the ring spacing didn’t work out .

Today’s Journey 5½ miles with no locks in 2½ hours.

Calverley

A nice peaceful night away from the noise, we didn’t even hear the trains. The temperature was in the 20s when we set off at 10am. and hit 32°C at one point.
We arrived at the first lock just as a boat had left ahead of us, same old story but we did meet boats at two locks. By the time we had turned the first lock another boat was catching us up, a single hander, so at the Iron lock we waited and worked him through.Beeston Stone lock was as slow filling as before, I think its due more to the slow fill fate than the bottom end leak. We lost our locking partner above this lock as he pulled over.
Looking across towards the railway this house that stands by the line has a Wisteria growing all over it.

Behind it are the old oil tanks .Sandstone Ridge Trust - Forgotten History - The Beeston Bunkers

This replica tunnel tug still looks smart, it must be getting towards 30 years old now. We looked round it at Braunston Boat Show, that was before it moved to Crick as they have the same diesel cooker as us.

Tilstone Lock still has a top paddle out, also a generator on hire doing nothing. I wonder what that is costing CRT.
At the Bunbury Stair Case I caught up with the boat ahead again,  they now had a locking partner.  This was ideal as it meant the top chamber was full and although they were still going up I could drain the lower one ready. The Anglo Welch hire base still

have the old hand water pump outside their office, they also sell ice creams which today was more important, Diana nipped in while the top chamber was filling. Beside the top lock stands a fine row of old stables, I don’t know if the building is still used, at one time they built 9’6” beam boats to go to Ireland and launch them just above the lock from the modern roller door in the end. The roof could really do with a bit of love now with several lose tiles.

We made out way towards Barbridge Junction passing not only the boat who had been locking up ahead but also this one moored up. The sign writing of the name on the bows caught my eye. No mirrors involved.  We didn’t go much further mooring for the night on the 48 hr moorings just before the Calverley Services .

Today’s Journey

 

  5¾ Miles with  6 locks in 4¼ hours

Tattenhall

Not the best night sleep last night, it was a lovely night and a group of females were singing somewhere, A little later it was the police cars howling around. After that it went quiet for a few hours until about 4am this morning a helicopter hovered directly above us making quite a din, enough to make me go out and look, even then there were police cars with the blue lights on. After that we got a bit more sleep.
While Diana was in Tesco’s I took a couple of photos of the paving stones, these are obviously salvaged from elsewhere like a lot of stone in the City.

, turned out her two

As Diana returned a boat came up the cut so I pulled out behind her thinking it was a lady single handing, but it turned out she had her two young grandsons with her. With me and the two boys working the locks we did all five locks together. They were still working on the demolition opposite the moorings . 

Just beyond the tower another building has been completely demolished and MacArthur and Stone are building retirement apartments on it.

Once at the top of the flight we stopped for water and the other boat carried on, we did meet two boats coming down the flight, but there was a boat ahead of us going up so that was no help. At that point it started to rain and we had a light shower for most of the rest of the journey.
More demolition almost opposite the Cheshire Cat pub. it was an architects office last time we were in this area.

We saw our first family of geese swimming in the canal near the Golden Nook moorings, I timed out

passing them today and it toom a little over half an hour. We went a short way passed Tattenhall Marina to moor for the night, checking the log I was about 12 hours overdue for an  oil and filter change, so that’s another job sorted, I will check the batteries tomorrow.

Today’s Journey 8¼ miles with 5 locks on 5 hours

Chester

A much quieter night last night out in the middle of nowhere. This morning we were off a short time before eleven as we are in no rush with nowhere particular to go. The Beluga flew right over our heads again, but a couple of hours earlier than yesterday. As I still haven't seen a towpath closure notice from CRT with the hole in the towpath I sent them a photo before we set off. There has been hedge set along the back of the towing path, so not all paid for by CRT.

Coming back into Chester there is a foot bridge decorated similar to the on on the Coventry are, but not so ornate,

Next on the right is Taylor’s Boat Yard with a few wooden boats sitting lengthways on the side slip.

Through the basin and under the bridge to the bottom of Northgate locks and the lock started draining as we arrived, there was a Volockie on duty and he drew a paddle as we arrived but explained CRT had a boat in the middle chamber doing something so we would have to wait in the bottom one for a few minutes. The old steps are still in situ in the mouth of the lock. The only reason I can see them being there is for people to try to climb out of the canal after falling in. I can’t see why a boatman would want to use them considering how low it is to the water.

The feral pigeons were having a great time in the overspill weir at the end of the bottom chamber, they left well before the water reached that level.

The work boat moved up out of the locks and the middle chamber topped the gates into the lower one until the Volockie drew the paddles. This is something to watch for going down if another boat is following you as you can end up under a waterfall.

Once the middle and bottom locks made a level we were able to move up a chamber, at this point 2 boats arrived behind us, so as soon as the gates behind me closed they were able to drain and enter the bottom chamber. Sitting in the middle chamber the view was slightly different with ornamental fountains ahead . Something else to watch out for going down if you don’t want a wet neck

Once this equalised we were in the top chamber and just needed to fill that to leave. These locks are quite slow as one of the two paddles are constantly locked off. Even with the slow fill from one people get it wrong and flood the towing path. We just went through Cow Bridge and moored for the night in the same spot as we were in going down, I wonder if we will get a ticket for overstaying?

Today’s Journey

 

4 miles with 3 locks in 2¼ hours