Whatcroft Flash T&M Wednesday 28 February 2018

I have started this blog a bit early because I don't think we will be going anywhere today. Last night it dropped to -6.8°C in the roof and this morning there were just a couple of patches of free water in the ice. This was the view from the porthole.
It been sunny all morning with only a little snow flurry and I have had to do something I hate doing, running the engine without moving, just to charge the batteries.
We have gone into saving mode, just a wash and no shower in the morning to save water, Fridge off and food outside in a cold bag to save electric and engine running.
As it was nice and sunny this afternoon we went for a short walk along the towpath towards Middlewich.
I spotted the end of a culvert under the canal so went to investigate further. There are even steps right down to the water and once down there you can see right under the canal.
All these photographs will enlarge if you click on them.
We then carried on to the next bridge and crossed to the private drive at Whatcroft Hall. There is a footpath diagonally across the field of horses but the estate have provided a permissive path alongside the drive which is much easier to traverse. The drive its self is closed off with code operated security gates.
In the field on the other side of the drive there is a good sized flock of, I think Rhea and in the next paddock Alpaca with some sheep.
A couple of the trees alongside the drive have been felled sometime in the past and the trunks left about 2.5mt high with the top sections being carved. We did consider continuing on to the road and returning on the other side of the canal but were not sure where we would be able to cross back to the boat, so we retraced our steps. Passing under the railway bridge I spotted some steps up the side of it. The twin track bridge is now only single track and the northern span has been turned into a footbridge, so we would have been able to have crossed had we taken the road. Maybe tomorrow.
We were also able to pinpoint where some of the smell around here is coming from, this tanker is spraying cattle slurry on the feild, not ground level spraying but up in a large arc from the back of the tanker.
As we left the railway bridge it started to snow and turn much darker, less than an hour ago it was bright sunshine.
I read on Neil's Blog that the new water point in Leamington on the Grand Union Canal is not for boaters after all and has a non CRT padlock on it. It seems from what I have heard the company that built the student accommodation wanted rather a lot of money from CRT for the use of it and CRT said no, its too much.
Today's Journey Nowhere