Minshull Vernon

Just a little later getting away than normal, but not much, it was pleasant going along in the sunshine. As we passed under Green Lane Bridge 90 I could see a boat winding ahead so held back, we then followed her to the outskirts of Nantwich where she went across the canal and seemed to be having words with a fisherman, she then hopped off with a centre line and started to pull the boat in by him, I thought that,s a bit inconsiderate mooring right where he is fishing, as we past she said she was trying to retrieve his fishing tackle from a branch , so could I have a go. I finally spotted a tiny float, hook and short length of line so hooked it with the boat hook and pulled it out of the tree where it fell in the water. The said fisherman now wanted me to come over get a net and go back to retrieve it for him. I pushed it his way with propwash and left him to it, he commandeered the following boat to pick it up and return it to him. So for a 50p float he had his entire swim ruined.  There were lots of mooring spaces along the embankment unlike last weekend. Just as we arrived at the services a boat left, by now the share boat that picked up the float was right behind me, so I indicated I was pulling in and let him go on his way. We would see him again later waiting to go up the Llangollen.
At Barbridge Junction we we turned right back onto the Middlewich Branch and chugged down toward Cholmondeston Lock, no queues today, on the way passing a pair of Wagtails resting on a boats solar panels .

Below the lock I pulled over to Venetian Marina to fill up with diesel as it was still £1-25 lt. Needless to say within a mile I met the fuel boat Bargus.
The remains of this bridge looks as if its slowly creeping in and getting narrower at the South end. I did report it when I first notice it starting to move.

Approaching Minshull lock a boat was just leaving but he had already closed the gate, it didn’t matter as it swung open before we arrived. Down at bridge 12 it looked as if the cows were walking on the bridge walls, but in reality they were on the hill side beyond it. A few more bridges and we pulled over to moor for the night.

Today’s Journey

11 miles, 2 locks in 4¾ hrs.

 

The trip since Autherley Junction

Baddington

A couple of the boats set off just before us this morning, the first meting a boat coming up at the first lock, we had no such luck, we met about 4 or  5 boats in the full length of the flight, it wasn’t helped by a boat going down not looking and closing gates, the lady from this one ran up and put him straight.

He also did it earlier with a boat just coming up the next lock, that time Diana at the head of the lock filled it, but we did give them two locks with the bottom gates open so they did OK. I stopped above lock 12 for Diana to post a card and we still didn’t lose our place in the line as by the time nb. Jam Pud with Pam and John on board exited the lock she was back and we were away. We just had a few words in passing.
The Garden at the bottom lock is being attended again, I understand that they had a few hoops to jump through to satisfy CRT. Clearing the lock I held back as the water Taxi from the marina was approaching and I knew they  picked up on the lock moorings, but they went into the winding hole and waved me by.
We were going to moor just above Hack Green locks, but as the sun was out and a boat coming up the lock we decided to carry on down and moor just before where the railway crosses the cut.

Today’s Journey

5½ miles, 15 locks in 4½ hours

 

 

Audlem Top

One boat had left the moorings going north before we were up this morning, We along with 3 other boats were moored on the long term moorings, why? Because the visitor 48 hour moorings were full of long term moorers. At 10am. Diana walked down to dump the rubbish and set the top lock while I cast off and chugged down past the winding hole, oncein the lock I could see someone drawing the top paddle of the second lock, it was the same chap, a boat owner from Market Drayton getting a bit of exercise, so it was straight out into the second, from here I could see a boat coming up in the third accompanied by a lady Volockie, so the bottom three were with us.
We stopped in Market Drayton to fill with water, not the fastest of taps but by no means the slowest we have encountered. A quick peek in the service block showed this pump out machine also on pause, but as we only emptied the tank 2 days ago I didn’t bother repeating it.
I managed to get a photo of the mooring restrictions in Market Drayton and I understand its because of the herring bone moorings opposite.

We said goodbye to Market Drayton and they said goodbye to us.On the straight we met Mountbatten towing Jericho, a poor angler on the towpath was hopping up and down, waving madly to try to get Richard to come over to the bank side as he passed, but I think he thought it better to carry on down the centre of the channel. 
Further along in the woods behind the towpath there is quite an encampment growing, I don’t know if people are living there.

By now the wind was picking up and at times we had a snow storm with all the blossom coming across the cut.

We arrived at Adderley Locks just the single hander we had met a few days ago was leaving, thankfully a member of the crew from the boat following him had been helping him, this of course meant that we had another flight with all the locks with us. We had planned to moor between the bottom of Adderley and the top of the Audlem flight but we had made such good progress we pushed on a bit past Pool House on the off side  and on to the Audlem flight where cake was bought from the lady at the top lock cottage. We arrived just as another boat was going down, we hadn’t seen them earlier so suspect they stopped for lunch and were just setting off. We followed them down the first two locks before mooring for the night in the long pound before lock 3.

Todays Journey

6½ miles, 12 locks in 4 hours

 

Tyrley Locks

As I said yesterday, we wandered down to the Navigation pub to see the menu for the evening but it wasn’t available, so at 7 pm we wandered down again to eat what ever was available, only to be greeted by a notice on the saying food only being served to pre booked tables, pity that wasn’t mentioned during the afternoon. This could well have been a blessing because we then walked up to the Royal Oak and had two superb chicken pies, not a pot with a lid but full lovely pastry, the filling was solid chicken, you couldn’t have got another piece in there. A very good portion of hand cut, plump chips without a trace of fat all on some nice vegetables with thick gravy. The staff were very welcoming and the waiter knew what was on or not on and what pies, soup etc. How often you ask and they have to go to check. Definitely a place to visit next time we stop in Gnosall.
Yesterday I saw my first goslings of the season, not wild ones but in a run by the canal at Gnosall. Today I saw my first pair of swallows at Shebdon, summer is on its way, listen out for the cuckoo. 
As we are talking Birds I thought you may also like to see this one.

A normal 10am start with quite a few boats about, it wasn’t long before we met 3 day boats from Norbury Junction, we had already had lots of private boats going by and met some still returning from Ellesmere Port it busier now than it was over Easter.
Just before Norbury Wharf to the Eastern side of the canal is the BIFoR Face Experiment exposing woodland to high levels of CO2  
There must be a story behind this boat moored outside the Anchor pub, its been in this spot on the 48 hr moorings for years and looks in a very poor unloved state.

We pushed on having a quick word with Ann and Oli who had the paintbrush out on Wandering Snail and then called in to see Jerry and Muriel, while we were there I gave Jerry a hand with fault finding on his water pump.
I gave the old Cadbury's loading wharf at Knighton a good dose of looking at as we passed. The piece on the extreme left furthest from the camera in the cement board and concrete construction.

You can see how the reinforced concrete has blown away from the steel reinforcing rods in places, just like lots of the cast bridges on the systemA little further on I spotted this little chap, sat on to of one of the bridge iron, I  hope its not some child's favourite toy they have dropped.

At Goldstone this group of ramblers were making their way along the canal, I don’t think they were heading for the pub but went the other way at the bridge.

The next encounter was Sue on nb Thea who we met just prior to Woodseaves Cutting with just time to exchange pleasantries as we passed, once in the cutting we could see the stern of a boat in the distance which didn’t look to be moving, when we caught him up we could see he was moored up, on checking he was OK, as its not an obvious place to moor it transpired he had broken down so I offered him a tow, which he accepted to the top of Tyrley Locks. I looks as if his engine was over heating, needless to say once I had him in tow we would meet two boats coming the other way, the first right at the narrows and for the final quarter of the journey we had a poor chap stuck behind following us. All in all this made it a longer day than usual.

Today’s Journey

12 miles, no locks in 5½ hours

Gnosall

We set off at our normal 10am but it was not as warm as I expected, A boat left just after us and caught us up in Brewood as I went slowly passed the moored boats, so as soon as I was clear I pulled over and waved him by, on open water he didn’t seam to want to go any quicker than us so I eased back a bit. The first time I ever came this way the aqueduct looked quite splendid, I don’t think its seen a paint brush since.

Hopefully you can see all the moored Canal and River Services boats a bit better, there were 5 tugs and at least 8 flats as well as the two hydraulic things.

We stopped at Wheaton Aston services to dump rubbish etc. when I noticed the pumpout machine was on pause. As our pumpout point is on the right hand gunwale I winded and came back along side to make good use of it. It was 14 since the last pumpout so it saved a bit and I left it on pause for the next lucky boater.
While I was winding nb. Jubilee came along and moored just before the winding hole so we had a chat with John while doing the pumpout and said hello to Jan as we went by. 
We have seen this boat a couple of times this trip but today they moored up while we were still at the service point so we passed them when we left and this fellow was sitting in the bows.

We carried on north under this turnover bridge, as well as being a turnover bridge to take the towpath from one side of the canal to the other its also an accommodation bridge taking a lane over the canal. The lane is the other side of the wall behind Diana.

We soon arrived in Gnosall and the tree trunk that had been floating at the entrance to the tunnel has been towed away and moored by a local boater so is now out of the way. We have moored almost opposite The Boat, we were going to eat there tonight but they changed management a week ago and still have a limited menu, but we did check the beer out. Plan B is The Navigation, but they didn’t know what will be on the menu tonight as it depends what stock they have left. I can only guess they had a good Easter.

Todays Journey

10 miles, 1 lock in 4½ hours.

As the map of the trip gets confusing when we cover the ground twice I have started a new one from Autherley Junction.

Brewood

We set off about 10, we had heard some ex working boats pass much earlier. The dogs opposite where we moored howl, not much, but its quite an interesting sound, I am sure they must communicate by it. As we approached Industrial Narrowboats by Stretton Aqueduct we passed these rather strange craft.

These look to be part of the fleet belonging to Canal and River Services of Weston on the Trent and Mersey canal.

It would be strange if we didn’t see some interesting boats on the hard at Industrial Narrowboats and it looks as if Perch has had some new bits put in her bow.

We carried on and moored by Bathurst Bridge No2 for Diana to visit Morrisons and then had a bit of lunch. While we were there this duckling decided it was big enough to tackle a full round of white bread.

After lunch we moved along to the water point, Once topped up we up through Autherley Stop Lock to wind and then return back onto the Shropshire Union canal. As we were locking up a couple were there with their grandson, watching the gates and telling him what was happening. Diana invited them to sit on the bench seat while I went out and winded.
There is a lot of ground work going on the offside opposite the hire base. They are opening things up and laying more paths, they are also laying oblong basses, I don’t know if these will be for seats or what appears to be the flavour of the month, outdoor gyms.

I am not sure where exactly we are moored, its a couple of miles south of Brewood but the closest address seams to be Coven which is on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal.

Today’s Journey

10¾ Miles, 2 locks (same one twice) in 4½ hours

 

Wheaton Aston

We were away about half ten this morning and within 500 yards passed a hire boat on the wrong side, his comment was he wish it had a bow thruster, he was flying a black ensign, I have never seen that before, red, white and blue ones, but never black. Unless it was a very dark blue.
Someone has constructed this just on the edge of the towpath, it must have taken sometime to build.

I took this photo because everyone does as they pass this bridge, I have seen a few explanations of how it got like this but don’t know what to believe, but it make a good photo.

One day I will remember how to pronounce the word Gnosall correctly, as you can see they welcome boaters and there are moorings right through the village.

As we approached Cowley Tunnel we could see a tree trunk floating in the canal, the angle it was at would have just pushed it away if we had hit it, but coming the other way would probably jammed it across the cut. I was able to warn an approaching boater about it.
Suddenly the air got very flavoursome just as Diana was bringing the dinner up. They keep a lot of cows in this area and that means a lot of cow manure.

We plodded along past lots of moored boats dropping Diana off at the Wheaton Aston moorings with the rubbish, for us to be reunited at the lock, we timed it well, a boat was descending and I only had to hover for a few minuets while they exited the lock. What a joy this lock is now compared with last time we came this way, fast to both empty and fill. Once above the lock we just cleared the next bridge before mooring for the night.
Since we have been here there have been lots of dog walkers passing and one horse.

 

Today’s Journey

10½ miles, 1 lock in 4¼ hours.

 

Part three of the journey

High Offley

This morning from about 9 am there were a steady stream of boats coming from the Market Drayton direction so we waited until 1030 before setting off, as we expected just as many to be going the other way and queuing at the Tyrley lock flight ahead of us. As it turn out there was only one boat going that way who we followed up the locks until we met a boat at the second from top. The Volockie at the top said Sunday mornings is normally busy with hire boats going down, but none today. Market Drayton seams to welcome boaters but I still can’t

understand the mooring restrictions at the North end where it says overnight only unless its market day and another sign says 48 hrs. I will try and get a photo on the way back.

The mile posts along this canal are very similar to those on the Trent and Mersey canal made of cast iron.

It looks as if some of the storm damage is still to be cleared with this large tree from the off side still half way across the cut.

Just before Tyrley Locks on the off side someone has made this tree stump into a head, last time we were this way he had a fishing rod but some one thought they had more right to it than he did, he has his Easter nest at the moment.

There are signs saying that the towpath is closed through Woods Eves Cutting but that hasn’t stopped

people using it, clambering over the obstructed towpath, they have even flattened the the fencing erected to close the path access off. The channel is also narrowed yo just one boat width due to off side slides.
I hadn’t noticed that the old Cadbury Wharf at Knighton as made of cast concrete with cement board edges and its reaching the stage where it could do wit some love and attention, it looks as if its now home to a boat painter with a floating wet dock.

We stopped for coffee with Wandering Snail on their new moorings before doing another 30 minutes before mooring for the night.  Under bridge 44 there is the remains of a stop lock which is supposed to protect Shebdon aqueduct. I hate to think what will happen if its needed.

We were lucky in that there was a gap just large enough for us to moor almost outside the Anchor Pub, directly behind the semi derelict boat that has been here as long as I can remember.

Todays Journey

11½ miles, 5 locks in 5¼ hours

 

Third section of our journey