Whatcroft Flash

I was all set to push off this morning when I noticed the boat ahead untying so decided to let him get away, however he only went about a boats length before mooring again, maybe the view over the Weaver is better from there, so we set off in the sunshine. The CRT chaps were still working on the same section of bank repair as when we came the other way. One good point is they are dredging mud from the canal to put behind the new piling, I just hope they don’t go through the puddle clay.

We arrived at Saltersford Tunnel at about twenty to twelve, the entry time from this end is half passed to ten to the hour so we were well in and transit only takes about five minutes. By the tunnel entrance three of the trees have been topped and the trunks carved.

We than had a clear run through Barnton Tunnel, its not timed and a bit difficult to see through with a sharp bend before you enter. Its OK if you have crew as they can stand on the bow and see through, but if you are alone then the boat is right into the tunnel before you van see and if anyone is coming you then need to back out and round the bend. The chap behind was single handing but he could follow me through I was pleased to see the boat moored on the bend just to the south of bridge 202 had gone. I don’t think a 70 foot boat would have got round the bend with him there. I noticed there are “No Mooring” signs where he was moored. We stopped briefly at the visitor moorings at Anderton so the following boat could pass, as I would only be doddering along from here. That turned out to be pointless as he was buy diesel when we passed Anderton Boats so would have stopped anyway. Although we were only slowly chugging along no one came up behind us.
The bridges across the canal at Wincham are looking even better now with the iron work looking even brighter.

I’m not sure what is happening across the canal from the Tata works, It looks like a new power pylon being built at one end but the rest is covered barriers  dividing it up and making walkways, but nothing seems to be happening there.

In the past week they have completed installing all the pontoons in Orchard Marina, I wonder how long it will be before its back in water.

We decided we would try to moor on Whatcroft Flash, but as there were several boats there already we moored on the approach. The only thing is I think the neighbours may be a bit noisy

 

Todays Journey

10½ miles, no locks in 4¼ hours

Dutton Breach

Last night just as I was about to get the TV aerial in, it sounded like a helicopter right over head, wrong it was a plane just a few hundred feet over my head. Just after we were in bed it started raining and carried on all night. We were all set to go at ten but this was the view from the back doors. Shortly afterwards these heroes came by netting floating rubbish from the canal, I don’t know if they are Bridgewater employees or volunteers, but not the best job this morning.

Once the rain stopped we headed back down the present end of the arm for a walk round. Once we left the canal things didn’t look so familiar and it was difficult trying to recall what was there, not only has the basketball courts gone, so has the flyover they were under. Here is where they were, I think.

I also took a shot from the top of Waterloo Bridge looking down the line of the old locks.

We walked most of the way down the old locks but couldn’t see any change other than a Narrowboat in their compound, I think it may be some time before they put it in a lock down there. We didn’t go right to the Ship Canal as it started raining once more.
I think this is probably the best shot I have got of the Mersey Gateway bridge, I was standing on Harnser’s roof as we went under the footbridge.

We filled with water at the Preston Brook services which meant we missed the slot for the tunnel by about 4 minute so had ¾ hour to kill, I started the engine at 28 minutes passed and the chap behind me had already untied and was ready for the off, not saying I nipped through the tunnel but we had cleared Dutton lock before him or the boat behind him appeared. Dutton lock again was almost on a level with the T&M just topping the gate. We have moored for the night at the site of the breach overlooking the River Weaver. We are now back on narrow, shallow waterways.

Today’s Journey

9 miles, 1 lock 3½ hrs

Runcorn

Last night we went to the Mediterranean Restaurant Elams for a couple of nice pizzas,  I have to say what a friendly place it is. They obviously have lots of repeat customers.

This morning we were off at 10 heading for Thorne Marine for our 4 yearly Boat Safety Inspection. Not too onerous for us as we don’t have gas and nothing has changed since the last inspection. It took us just an hour and three quarters to get there mooring under the bridge until; after lunch.
One thing we have noticed is how popular glass is becoming in gardens and on balconies as a handrail or boundaries.  This one was backed to the owner can see out but from the canal looks like a mirror.

Nigel arrived after lunch to do the inspection, starting at the stern with the diesel filler, diesel system, he then went on to batteries, stoves, ventilation, extinguishers etc checking the expiree date of the CO detectors. When he had finished we paid up and had 2 ice creams to celebrate before setting off for Runcorn. As we headed towards Waters Meeting we passed the science park on our left hand side.

At waters meeting we turned right back down the Runcorn arm, in one of the yards we passed another butty that has been converted to be a motor, this time they have chopped the back out below the waterline to fit the stern gear.

We decided to moor for the night behind the Brindley theatre on the visitor moorings covered by CCTV, we have only seen one drug deal taking place so far, I suppose with the CCTV they feel safe here. There is a plaque in the wall right opposite our side hatch, tomorrow we will go down to investigate.

 

Todays Journey.

15 miles, no locks in 4½ hours

Lymm

Not the best mooring last night, that Metro is quite noisy and runs from early morning until midnight. We were away at our normal 10 am and for a while didn’t see much but joggers and dog walkers. Our first encounter with a rower was well passed the straight and I spotted them in very good time with the bright coloured shirt. We are nowhere as near as it looks in the photo and they pulled over hard against the bank to let us pass with ease. Its a pity they are not all so easy to spot.

As you can see we ware almost at the Linotype works and I have tried to get a better photo of the old buildings one of which is still unconverted.

Just passed Old Field Quay just before Seamonds Moss Bridge Diana spotted a fox at the bottom of the garden of one of the canal side houses.

I wondered if it was dead just laying out in the open like that so a gave in a quick whistle and it responded before curling up and going back to sleep.

I actually had passed the fox and reversed back for the photo so was surprised it was still there.
We stopped at Ye Old Number Three to fill the water tank, by now the canal was getting quite busy, we met this canoe  who was trying to overtake a family of Swans but the Cobb was not impressed sharing the canal with them.

On the hard at Hesford is a motorised butty, with a hydraulic motor and propeller mounted in the ellm. It saves chopping the hull about and can easily go back to being a butty.

We carried on to Lymm where we were lucky to get a mooring and there have been some dubious moorings carried out since we have been here, places I wouldn’t moor. Its like Piccadilly Circus here now with boats passing, stopping, reversing but we have not been hit yet.

Today’s Journey

9¾ miles, no locks in 3½ hours

Watch House Stretford

Following an email yesterday we have had a change of plan, we now need to be at Thorne Marine on Tuesday afternoon and not Wednesday, so we have had to reduce the length of our cruise  on this end of the Bridgewater. In the end there were only two of us here overnight and it proved to be a very quiet mooring. Her is the view looking back past the mooring on the long straight.

The old bridge keepers houses at Barton Swing Aqueduct are now completely derelict.

There are plans to reinstate the high level walkway across the aqueduct at some point

Mind you the aqueduct its self is not in the best of shape, it looks as if the Navigation Lights is only held on by its flex. This is for commercial shipping using the Manchester Ship Canal. lets hope it doesn’t fall onto the deck of a boat.

I couldn’t see any boats on the canal today so hopefully we wont get stuck the wrong side if it fails. There may not have been any boat traffic but there were plenty of cars on the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the distance.

The next part of the canal runs alongside quite a noisy road, on the off side is the Worsley Boat Club with lots of spaces so they are probably at Runcorn for the weekend. Both the dry docks at Worsley had boats in them, quite a busty spot.

We didn’t stop in Worsley this time, since we were here last the service block has been closed, it always was quite disgusting. Once out of the town the canal is fairly straight again and has good paths both sides, on the offside the Canal Company have installed chicanes which I can only assume is to slow down cyclists but with the width of the path I can’t see it having any effect at all.

This complex has appeared since we were last this way, its the Royal Horticultural Society Bridgewater, with a brand new building set alongside a lake. I couldn’t get a clear photo through all the trees unfortunately, but its quite impressive.

We only went as Bridgewater Marina at Boothstown before winding to make our return journey. As we approached Worsley we passed one of the BCC cranes that are scattered along the canal ready to install stop planks which are normally stacked straight under the crane hook ready for use, in this case all the planks are fixed together to form a single door to drop in.

We carried on back across the aqueduct, luckily we had just crossed when a boat coming towards us arrive so I was able to take this photo without having to hurry off.

We chugged straight past last nights empty moorings back down to Waters Meeting where we left the Leigh Branch and turned right onto the main line again, just going as far as the Watch House to moor for the night. At the moment the Metro that runs parallel to the canal here is quite noisy, so we are hoping it doesn’t run to late into the night or early in the morning on Bank holiday weekends.

Today’s Journey

12 miles, no locks in 4 hours.

Trafford Centre

A slight unpleasantness at the moorings as the boat behind started his engine at 8 pm and at 10pm I went and asked him how long he intended to carry on running it, an hour or two was not the answer I was looking for and he begrudgingly turned it off. He was in no better mode when we left this morning.
It was a lovely sunny morning as we made our way along the Bridgewater to the second Waters Meeting on the system where we turned left, passing the Kellogg's factory, boy did it stink, to moor for the night outside the Trafford Centre. There was no one here when we arrived but we have been joined by a couple of boats now.
Passing Hesford Marine they have lots of new boats, both wide and Narrow in grey primer and ready to fit out. Some in the water and others on hard standing.

We saw our second lot of Cygnets along here, I think there were 8 of them but they didn’t keep still.

As we approached Altrincham we came upon a grope of well behaved kids in canoes with two adults.They all got tightly on the side while we passed them, what a lovely morning that had for their activates.

The front wall of the Linotype works has now been incorporated into the end of a long terrace of houses. For a long time just the wall stood there supported by scaffolding. See HERE

We met some rowers as we came towards the mile straight, I didn’t realise they went south of here. The canoe hire establishment had a few out, somewere doing better than others. The widebeam coming towards us had to send a crew member to the bows to act as a spotted as the helmsman couldn’t see them as he got closer. Also along this stretch was a pair of paddleboarders complete with a dog, as the dog pushed round his leg he wobbled but failed to fall off.

I don’t know what this boat was selling but he had a humongous generator in his bow well deck that groaned every now and then, he also had a very healthy queue of customers waiting for whatever he was serving up.

Today’s Journey

12¾ miles, no locks in 4¼ hours