Last night we walked down to the canal side Italian restaurant, Barchetta for a meal, I quite like it in there so we normally go if we are passing and the pricing is reasonable.
There was very slight drizzle when we got up this morning but it stopped before we set off at 10 am. The day felt much milder than of late with a bit of sun and blue skys. The boat was still moored on the waterpoint, they were onboard when we left the restaurant last night as I could see lights behind the curtains and smoke coming from the chimney so they hadn't been rushed away somewhere.
There is a new hire base beside the canal, Black Pearl Luxury Narrowboat Holidays they only look to have one boat but they had this in the shed.
You have to watch out for bridge 165, its Ok travelling this way but from the other direction it goes from a flat wide deck to an arch which is several inches lower
I mentioned the new Thai Restaurant in the old Kinderton Arms pub on our way up, I checked their name out today and it is Kin Arai Thai
Between Rumps Lock and Kings Lock there were 44 swans in the canal, I think this is the only canal where I have had swans fly off as we approached, they normally just swim round the boat. I have no idea why there should be so many here in this one spot, I guess it must be because they get fed.
In Middlewich we made the right angle turn into the Wardle Canal, this is reputed to be the Countries shortest canal at 154 feet long running from the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. At the end of this short canal is Wardle Lock often referred to as Maureen's Lock as she lived in the lock cottage until she died and would often be seen helping boaters through "her" lock.
A short way above the lock we passed the ex Thomas Clayton tar boat Spey, Spey is an all wooden boat with tanks built into her hold, she was built in 1937 and is powered by a Bolinder engine.
We carried on up through Stanthorne Lock to moor for the night on the 48 hour visitor moorings, we had just tied up and guess what, it started to rain, so yet another days boating without getting wet.
Today's Journey 
1 comment:
44 swans. Our old shareboat used to be moored at Elton Moss and counting the swans coming into Middlewich was a regular thing for us. On our last few visits the numbers seem to have been very low in deed so it's good to hear that the numbers are back up. We think the fencing along that stretch was put up to keep the swans from straying into the road.
Pip and Mick NB Lillyanne
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