Middlewich

Last night was not the best choice of moorings, There was a regular rail passenger service crossing the canal behind us, but as expected that stopped about midnight only to be replaced with a freight service running almost as frequently and making twice the noise, add to the the aircraft making an approach to somewhere right above us at dawn onwards. Of course none of this was helped by us having the hatches and slide open because of the heat. When I got up for my early morning wee at 4am this is what I saw looking out of the engine room side hatch.

A little late setting off but tis time we passed a boat making ready to set off to Stanthorne Lock, even though we were ahead we still had to turn the lock and by the time we were down there were two waiting to come us as well as two coming down. We stopped to chat with fellow Cutweb members at bridge 30 for a little over an hour before making our way to Wardle Lock where we had to wait for a boat to come up. We turned left on to the Trent and Mersey canal  but came to a standstill at Middlewich Wharf as they were using one of the hire boats to tow a broken down boat from the top lock up to the yard. The three Middlewich locks were all against us, not helped by a paddle out  on the bottom lock. Once down we started looking for a mooring but all shady ones had gone so we tied up by the play park. As I was writing this the boat behind, nicely in the shade has just left, so we have dragged back a boats length.

Today’s Journey

3½ miles with 5 locks in 2½ hours

Clive Green

Well it happened again, Diana set off to walk to the lock, I dropped the bow rope off and before I got to the stern a boat came chugging down the cut, so I followed them down to the lock. At the lock a chap was repairing the rendering to the building beside it.

I am not sure how his work will stand up in this heat. By the time we had turned the lock and started going down a CRT work boat turned up below, surprisingly he was single handed, they usually have a lock wheeler with them. Just beyond the visitor moorings and BBQ area there are a couple of trees down on the offside with just room for a boat to pass through.

By the time we reached Minshull Lock the boat ahead was on its way down, there was a chap standing their wearing a life jacket who I assumed was ether CRT of a Volockie. Diana walked down and it seamed forever for the next boat to come up, the strange thing was Diana wasn't doing anything, eventually we entered the lock and the chap with the lifejacket suggested Diana hopped back onboard and he would work us down. It was then I found out from Diana he was from the Marina and was instructing the lady who had bought a boat on how a lock works. If I had known one of us would have stayed up top who was fully concentrating on our boat not a customer.Eventually we were out of the lock, CRT are repairing the piling along behind the lock moorings.
I can only assume (very dangerous) that this is a repair of a leak. a pile of clay against the edging.

By now things were really warming up and it was getting towards lunch time so after passing under the railway we pulled over and moored for the night.

Today’s Journey

 

7 Miles with 2 locks in 3 hours.

Cholmondeston Middlewich Branch

When we got up this morning we had bit of a list on as the pound had dropped, not sure if it was just leakage or if someone had replenished the pound between the Beeston Iron and Stone locks. We timed it quite well as it turned out two boats were coming up the Stone lock behind us. By the time we had drained Tilstone Lock one of the boats had caught us up. It was the pizza baked onboard boat but said he would wait for the following boat who he had been sharing with earlier. So we went up slowly alone, the top paddle is still out of action but I think CRT may be working on it. The boat sharing with the pizza boat was a hire boat with three couples all dressed as what they thought was typical French.

About half way between Beeston and Tilstone locks across the field is this hotel. it looks in a poorly state now.

Just above Tilstone Lock the boat we had been sharing with the day before yesterday was moored up so they slipped away and followed us to Bunbury Staircase lock. Here we waited beside the hire boats while one boat went up the locks and one came down. We had both only just entered the bottom chamber and closed the gates  when the two boats behind arrived, so once the boat ahead had gone we were mob handed to work the locks, there was even one waiting to go down when we left. We both stopped at Calveley Services to top up with water before going our separate ways, we turned left at Barbridge Junction and they carried on to Hurleston junction. This is a slightly better photograph of the thatched extension to a house, how they got planning consent I don’t have a clue as its the only thatch for miles around, so not in keeping with the property.

We decided to moor for the night at the visitor moorings just above Cholmondeston Lock. I must say all this passing traffic comes as bit of a surprise, probably had more boats go by than we have seen in a week.

Today’s Journey

 

5½ miles with 3 locks in 3½ hours

Tilstone

Had a ring round for diesel prices this morning and didn’t like what I heard so hoping to get to the T&M to fill up.

We were away about our normal 10 am and very little to report this morning other than very large banks of Floating Pennywort slowly drifting down the canal with the flow. One of the boat at Golden Nook has a fine collection of kiddies windmills on his roof.

I guess they are bird deterrents as we didn’t see loads of birds on any of the boats it’s hard to say. I rather liked the boat name of one of the ones along here .

As well as the Pennywort the Giant Hogweed is doing very well along here as well.

We stopped at the Shady Oak and Diana nipped in and bought a pizza for lunch, one with salad was fine for the two of us. After lunch we continued up Whartons Lock, at the top of the lock an elderly lady who was with her son had felt unwell, sat on the bench and looked semi conscious, we gave her some water and an ice pack, her son said after they had sat a few minutes they would walk back to the car at The Shady Oak. We weren't happy with this so I took the boat to the next winding hole and returned to pick them up. Diana had staid with them and kept the lock ready for my return. By this time with two of us helping she was able to walk and had told Diana she was almost 93 years old. The garden bench on the tug deck cam in very handy and we soon had both of them sitting on it and headed back to the pub, I may her stay sitting while her son fetched the car, she was much more lucid by now, we then helped her from the boat into his car and wished them well.
This just left us facing the wrong way and a long run to wind, so I reversed to the winding hole about half way to the lock winded and joined the boat I had just met to do the lock for the third time today. I was quite surprised the number of boats coming down the locks this time of day and both us and the boat who went ahead up the Iron Lock met a couple of boats at each lock. The pound between Iron and stone locks is getting quite low and we decided to moor for the night just above Beeston Stone Lock.

 

Today’s Journey

10¾ miles with 5 locks (1 three times) in  5¾ hours

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Rowton

Last night we ate at The Green House Tapas bar which worked out quite expensive as we ended up having 6 dishes between us, but ERNIE paid for it  this month. It was quite a short walk there from where we were moored. On the way I noticed this hook attached to the wall on the towpath by the road bridge. For strapping maybe ?

The noise from the Telford Warehouse quietened down about 9-30 ish. when the large group drinking outside dispersed and the sound from the disco wasn’t to intrusive and were still playing when we went to bed.
We woke this morning to a dull day but it soon picked up, we set off about 10, just a touch too late as the Volockies were setting the flight for a boat coming down, if we had been a few minutes earlier we would have been in the bottom chamber before they started to drop the middle one. As it was we crossed with the boat coming down in the middle.

There was quite a spray of water coming from the gates as we sat in the middle chamber.

Once clear of the locks we carried on through town, it looks as if they they completed demolition of the old cinema since we were here a few weeks ago.

A nice view of the water tower leaving the lock. We moored outside The Bridge Inn to visit Aldi just over the bridge, shopping done we decided to have lunch before setting off. Just as we were about to cast off a hire boat came up the canal so we had someone to share with. Turned out he was an ex Narrowboat owner who sold up about 12 years ago but was taking his visiting daughter out for a week on a hire boat. We carried on together until the water point at Christleton where he stopped and we carried on. Just like the section between Chester and the Port, the off side vegetation needs some serious management. I was steering completely blind here just below Tarvin lock.

We carried on alone and moored for the night right beside a nice looking caravan/camper site at Rowton, hopefully well away from any 5am football celebrations of sorrow drownings.

Today’s Journey

 

3½ miles with 8 locks in 2¾ hours

Chester basin

It was quite overcast and breezy when we set off this morning, a couple of boats had been by before we set off but other than that very quiet. Spotted this birds nest as we passed a boat on the long term moorings, I suspect that would be worth a bit on eBay.good excuse not to move your boat, add a couple of Quail eggs for good measure.

The towpath is still officially closed at the site of the sink hole but the barriers have been put to one side and people are ignoring the signage.

There is quite a bit of oil/diesel on the water in the area which I have reported to CRT, I can guess where its come from.

This is the bridge coming into Chester just before Davies boat yard with the cut out shapes.

I am not sure why this access ramp is all fenced off and overgrown, it even has a cast sign in the enclosed area.

As we approached the basin we saw our first boat on the move since we set off, he pulled away from the visitor moorings, so we pulled in. I was surprised to see that even now there are a couple of spaces still available.

Today’s Journey 5½ miles with no locks in 2 hours.

Stoak Shropshire Union Canal

When we woke this morning it was dead calm, the wind sock at the chemical works hanging limp. We were due to lock out onto the Manchester Ship Canal at 11-20 this morning, By 11 the CRT chaps were there so we started the engine , untied and positioned ourselves in front of the partly open gate, it was like that when we arrived yesterday.

First they tried closing it which eventually happened, then they tried opening the other one, that didn’t work, so they reopened the first one just wide enough for us to get through.

Once in the lock the next job was to get the gate shut again, apparently one of the two battery powered power packs failed, once that was shut attention moved to the bottom end, the valves for the drain were opened and eventually the bottom gate started to open, there was a narrowboat the other side waiting to come in. I was happy for him to come in before we went out but the lock keeper told him to wait and get out of our way. It had taken us ¾ hour to clear the lock

Its essential that you don’t cut the corner when leaving the lock, the bush on the far bank makes a good sight line. We slipped through the part open gate and past the chap treading water outside.

Eventually I turned left, I don’t think Diana thought I was going to go the right way and we headed towards Ellesmere Port.

It all started nice a calm but after a couple of miles the breeze picked up to about 20mph but it was still nice and warm. There are a couple of buildings on the island between the MSC and the river Mersey, I have no idea what they are.

We passed a large flock of very mixed geese swimming around, I suspect there are a lot of cross breeds there with domestic geese, there must have been 50 or 60 or them, they split both sides of the boat. 

I think this is the dredger that was following us along the canal when we were going to the Weaver, the one that was moored here has disappeared.

I didn’t slow down and he didn’t shout at me. The chemical gas tanker was on the same berth as when we were last here, I don’t know if its been here all the time or is on a return trip.

I called Eastham Port Control just before we entered the section of canal through the Stalow Refinery as we passed the cliffs. They are fully grown trees on the top, not bushes.

One section of the bank between the canal and the river is just a row of piling with a walkway along the top.

On our way to the Weaver we followed a ship that was turning off to moor, today there was a different tanker in the berth.

It was now time to keep an eye out for the light house, this stands on the corner of the entrance to the Port, the entrance is between that and the block of apartments.

The entrance from the MSC is at right angles to the canal and doesn't look much, I wonder if any boaters miss it? The lock up to the Port is at right angles again, to the left and parallel with the MSC.

 

There are two people to man this lock, the CRT volunteer lock keeper to open and lock up the lock for us and a man from Cheshire Council to operate the swing bridge, in reality he also has a windlass and gives the CRT chap a hand.

There are then just two locks up through the museum, the top one has to be left full and they leave a top paddle up to ensure it doesn't drain. As we came up these locks a chap opened the gates for us and got chatting, he was waiting to transit to Manchester to support the “Fund Britain's Waterways” appeal, He kindly gave me a banner to display.

We continued on the Shropshire Union Canal until we found a spot a little further from the motorways.

Today’s Journey 10 miles with 4 locks in 3½ hours

Marsh Lock Moorings

We set off about 10am on quite a windy morning , often blowing at 35mph, it made winding by the disused lock mouth interesting as I had to get round bow to wind. I know what I should have done, but I didn’t. We headed down stream under the railway viaduct, I found out yesterday that the peregrine falcons have successfully hatched this year.

We carried on as far as Sutton swing bridge where we stopped to dump rubbish (one of the only two locations on the river) and have lunch, as well as doing the holiday blog and Diana going for a walk. We left there about half two passing the Frodsham Cruising Club with what looks like their permanent temporary foot bridge across the entrance.

We pushed on in the wind, at least the sun kept popping out to see us to moor for the night on Marsh Lock mooring pontoon ready for tomorrow morning .

Today’s Journey 6½ with no locks in 2 hours