Bollington

Not the best of nights sleep last night, first the hammering rain, then the geese, I am not sure which came next, the ducks on the waterline or the boat behind’s Eberspaecher firing up.Once were were about it was more wind and hail. Things had moderated by about ten se we made ready to set off. The whole journey was a mixture of hail, rain and sunshine with of course a bit of wind. It was an uneventful but rather cold trip to Bollington where we managed to moor at the far south end of the embankment.

On our outward journey I questioned the marker in the trees. Tim who came to visit us this afternoon kindly supplied this answer as well as some other interesting information.

”The clump of trees with a concrete block among them is actually a very common site around the northern part of the Macclesfield canal (north of Macclesfield). They are the markers of old mine shafts and workings – coal and fire clay. The shaft is directly under the concrete marker. Some of these mines, especially in the Higher Poynton area, were proper shafts with galleries under them. Others were bell pits. Nearby Pott Shrigley is Bakestonedale hill with the remains of over 200 bell pits. There was also a drift mine under Nab hill at Bollington with its entrance facing the canal just south of br.26, Sugar Lane, you can still see it if you look up the field hedge. There is a wharf edge on the canal here from which the clay was taken to Dukinfield at the northern end of the Peak Forest canal. That was a day trip for the boatman – 7 miles to Marple, down the 16 locks, several miles to Dukinfield, unload 20 tons of clay, turn, back up the 16, and return to Bollington. Now that’s what I call a hard day’s work!
Tim”

Todays Journey

4 miles with no locks in 1½ hours