Monday 25 th November 2019 Today saw the final run in to Chester. After filling up at the water point at bridge 122, with the very muddy towpath, we entered the first of the flight of five locks that lower the canal into the city. All the locks on this section of the Shropshire Union Canal, between Barbridge Junction and Chester, are wide beam and so ‘Ay-Up’ and ourselves were able to do the locks together, with the exception of Beeston Iron Lock which, due to it being too narrow, can only take one narrowboat at a time. We stopped briefly below Tarvin Lock to visit B&M’s, looking for battery operated, motion sensor lights, unsuccessfully. After Hoole Lock, Chester itself is entered with the canal passing the waterworks and tower, and several old mill and wharf buildings, now all tasteful bars and restaurants, offices and accommodation. We moored just before Cow Lane Bridge 123E, a very short walk into the city centre. With it being the winter mooring period, we ...
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Sunday 24 th November 2019 After passing through Wharton’s Lock came an 8-mile lock-free stretch of canal. Nice countryside but pretty uninspiring. The well-known Shady Oak pub was passed at bridge 109, a summertime favourite with boats out from Tattenhall Marina at weekends when the moorings become very busy. The River Gowy is crossed on an aqueduct although the small river cannot be seen from the canal because of the trees. This river marked the English-Welsh border in the times of the Welsh Wars before the defining of the modern border under the Laws in Wales Act of 1535-1542 when Wales was annexed to England. The Gowy rises near Peckforton Castle, very close to the source of the River Weaver. While the Weaver flows south initially, the Gowy flows north. Interestingly, it passes beneath the Manchester Ship Canal before emptying into the River Mersey through an ingenious siphon at Stanlow. Beyond bridge 112, Tattenhall Marina is reached, possibly one of the biggest m...
Saturday 23 rd November 2019 The day was cold and, although it didn’t actually rain, it threatened all day. We quickly came to the two-staircase lock at Bunbury, followed in regular succession by the locks at Tilstone and Beeston Stone and Iron Locks. Bunbury Locks are interesting with their attendant stable blocks, wharf buildings and dock areas. At Beeston the two locks were originally built of stone but the lower lock suffered badly from shifting sand and subsidence and so was replaced in 1828 with overlapping, flanged cast iron plates to overcome the problems. The structure is Grade II listed and supported on piles 12 feet deep and weighs approximately 10% of a conventional stone lock. The disadvantage of it for single-handed boaters is there are no ladders within the lock. Beeston Iron Lock Beyond Beeston Locks on the south side of the canal is a well-defined ridge that houses a World War II RAF Avia...
Friday 22 nd November 2019 We travelled a mile down the canal to the winding hole beyond bridge 16 before returning and mooring again behind ‘Empire’, but facing the other way. Dave and Jill then went on their way to Aqueduct Marina. It had been good to see Dave again, we thought we had lost touch, and to meet Jill. And it was a bit upsetting to see them off. Hopefully it won’t be too long until we meet up again. In the meantime, Kenny and Sue had been in touch to arrange a run into Chester and so we waited for them to travel out from Middlewich. Once they turned up, we again retraced our steps back towards Barbridge Junction, passing ‘Empire’ sitting outside the marina with Dave and Jill having lunch before their journey home. At Cholmondeston Lock, we heard a 74-year-old man, single-handed on his boat, had fallen headfirst down the stone steps leading from the lock and had been taken to hospital. Dangerous places locks can be, especially when the sides and steps are ...
Thursday 21st November 2019 We left Dave and Jill at Barbridge and headed for the service station at Nantwich beside the marina, 3 miles away. Hurleston Locks, at the junction with the Llangollen Canal, are closed for 5 months and a massive project is underway to completely rebuild one of the four lock chambers as the walls have been gradually moving inwards, now preventing a large number of slightly wider boats from entering the Llangollen Canal. As we passed by, the scale of the works is massive. Work in progress at Hurleston Locks At the service station we had to pass the mouth of the marina and go beneath a bridge, to find the services on the right immediately after. We desperately needed to empty the loo, but found the Elsan locked. I went to the marina office and was told CRT had locked it due to continual blocking. We would have been very stuck, but the nice man from the marina allowed us to empty the l...
Wednesday 19 th November 2019 Our registration number was taken on Monday which was disappointing. Kenny and Sue moor on private, CRT owned, land opposite the Middlewich Narrowboats site and act as unofficial caretakers for the site in exchange. We were moored there as their guests but should not really have been there at all. Perhaps for a day or so it would be overlooked but not any longer. So, having been in Middlewich for over 2 weeks, we decided to move and leave the town for a while. All moorings have time restrictions imposed on them. In towns the restriction ranges from 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days and 14 days. All other sites where no restrictions are indicated, mainly in the countryside, are 14 days. However, during the winter months, from 4 th November until 31 st March, there are no mooring restrictions and a boat is allowed to stay anywhere for 14 days. However, having been spotted moored on private land, and not wanting Kenny and Sue to get into trouble for ...
Sunday 17 th November 2019 After a lovely, morning with a thick mist laying above the canal, it started to rain just before we set off and did not stop until we moored up. On the bend just after Croxton Aqueduct, we met the shared-ownership boat ‘Adagio’ approaching from the opposite direction, in the middle of the channel and steering only using the bow thruster, with the tiller positioned in the centre. It took some manoeuvring, but was a very near miss nonetheless. Moored opposite Middlewich Narrowboats Site with ‘AyUp’ After negotiating the Big Lock and the Three Locks in Middlewich we watered up at the Middlewich Narrowboats boats site before winding at Wardle Junction and again mooring behind Kenny and Sue. Aaron joined us in the afternoon for a few days visit. Weather: rain and cold. Day Total: 4 locks; 3 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running ho...
Saturday 16 th November 2019 Today was a short cruise, retracing our steps and heading back towards Middlewich. Slowly, we passed through Wincham, Rudheath and Billinge, reaching Bramble Cutting where we again moored up and again, were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves. Halsall passed us by before we left the mooring and we caught him up at Orchard Marina. Before long, he too was held up by a boat travelling very slowly and so we had a convoy of four, slowly moving boats. We quite enjoyed the slow passage through this lovely section of canal and, for the first time, we saw Whatcroft Hall, well hidden in the trees. Had we been travelling at a normal pace, we would never have seen it. Convoy leading to Bramble Cutting At Bramble I made a rope ladder to hang over the back end when we are moored up. Brenda’s recent fall into the canal has shaken the two of us. We had always thought that, if you fall ...
Friday 15 th November 2019 After breakfast we left the moorings, heading for Anderton. The section of canal from Bramble Cutting to the railway bridge before Billinge Flashes, has to rate as one of the most picturesque on the system, especially at this time of year with the colours of the remaining leaves on the trees. Isolated, quiet, peaceful and tree-lined. ‘Ay-Up’ leading the way on the stretch between Bramble Cutting and Billinge Green Flashes At the flashes, we saw the first of the floating weed that is becoming such a nuisance. It only takes a small piece to be overlooked and, within a short space of time, it is blocking the canal. There was a lot of this weed, some small pieces, but other big floating patches that, come summer, will become a problem again. Weed Banks at Billinge Green Flashes The whole run from Middlewich to Anderton is interesting and, although we had done it quit...
Thursday 14 th November 2019 Kenny has been unwell but, since finishing treatment, has been looking forward to going out, but never made the opportunity. So the two boats took off for a short cruise. We had never travelled in company with another boat but, with Kenny in front, it was much easier on blind bends with another boat in front to warn of anything approaching. It was a cold day with a biting wind that made controlling the boat difficult, we got blown across the canal the moment we set off. Middlewich Narrowboats have been out of business now for over 2 years and it is such a shame to see the buildings still unused. Old buildings like these will go home very quickly without being used or maintained. Similarly, with the dry-dock which is looking very sad. It was nice passing through Middlewich. But again, the wharf buildings are becoming more derelict. These buildings have been empty ever since we first moved into the town in 2000. While there have been many pla...
Wednesday 13 th November 2019 We had really enjoyed being moored so close to the grandkids and were grateful to Tracey for the use of the washing machine and shower. However, the towpath was very soft and the mooring stakes had to be continually repositioned, the towpath itself, while not particularly muddy, was very soft underfoot, the road was very busy, day and night and, despite reassurances before the waste recycling plant was opened, that there would be no smells, occasionally there were, and it was bad. Today, we decided to move and have moored with Kenny and Sue at the former Middlewich Narrowboats site. Just a mile and the one lock, watering up on the way down. We had always planned and looked forward to mooring with them and possibly doing a short cruise. Brenda went shopping with Sue while Kenny and myself chatted the afternoon away. Day Total: 1 lock; 1 mile; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 11.2 ...
Sunday 10 th November 2019 We had the kids overnight while Tracey was away. We have always missed them obviously, it was great having them over the weekend and it has been great being moored right opposite their house and watching Eva’s curtains twitch most mornings, checking we are still here. We went to the Memorial Service in the Bull Ring. This is always very well attended in Middlewich and the parade was as big as ever. Nice though, to see they now stop the traffic passing along St. Michael’s Way which was always a disruption. Memorial Parade outside British Legion, Middlewich Mooring opposite Tracey’s on Booth Lane, Middlewich We have decided, while being in Middlewich, not to do daily dairy entries or blogs. We are not really doing much of any great interest, just enjoying being here. Weather: lots and lots of rain. Bad flooding in Yorkshire.
Saturday 9 th November 2019 Since arriving in Middlewich, we have had to be running the engine far too frequently to charge the batteries. A new battery bank was fitted in September of last year. Although the new bank gives significantly greater capacity, the batteries are unsealed and so require maintenance. They are a neat fit in the available space and to be checked, they have to be disconnected and removed. A heavy and awkward job and so one that gets put off and done far too infrequently. However, this morning the batteries were removed and individually, checked and tested. One of the connecting cables between batteries was found broken as was one of the connecting clamps, meaning that we were actually running on a single battery rather than five. All the batteries were showing 12.2V and none of the cells had to be topped up. The hydrometer seems to be reading incorrectly. When checked previously the SG of the batteries show on the border between white and r...
Monday 4 th November 2019 Brenda took the bus into Northwich to arrange for a new phone. She is still in the process of retrieving all her data from her old phone via ’The Cloud’ and so far it is all looking good, which is making her feel much better. But so far she has not managed to reinstate her contacts, so if people could please contact her, the phone number is the same, a text or message will suffice. The bottom and middle steps leading into the back of the boat have hinged tops and make for useful storage. However, the top step was fixed so I broke into it and have made the top removable. This has now become my every day toolbox and has meant the tool carrier that has been under the armchairs can now be dumped. A more practical solution that makes the boat tidier. Evolution as we call it.
Saturday 2 nd November 2019 The morning saw us in Martin and Michelle’s, where Martin did a lovely breakfast and we watched the Rugby World Cup Final. England v. South Africa. While England were the favourites, they put in a poor performance and were squarely beaten by South Africa and the French referee combined. We called into a Tesco Express for Sunday dinner bits and pieces and spent the remainder of the day quietly on the boat. Brenda is, unsurprisingly, very sore today. CRT winter stoppages commence on Monday and so, this is now the start of our second winter on board. The stoppages give opportunities for maintenance over the quieter winter months and different canals are closed either pre- or post-Christmas from 4 th November to 31 st March although some stoppages last for the full 5 months depending on the work scope. As continuous cruisers, it is important that we plan correctly for the winter with these stoppages in mind. Over these months, you can stop ...
Friday 1 st November 2019 After a late night, or rather an early morning, with Martin and Michelle, Harvey completely let us down and we didn’t wake until 10:30 when Matt rang to say he was dropping Eva off at home. Brenda had an 11:15 hair appointment and so left almost immediately while I went to collect Eva. I got a lovely long cuddle from her and she didn’t want to let go, bless her. She is almost as tall as her nan now. Brenda is having her peacock colours reinstated. Of the hairdressers she has visited since we have been on the boat, nobody does this quite like Aspect 1 in Middlewich, and we are both looking forward to the result. After collecting Eva, we returned to the boat and assembled the second reclining chair between us. While they do not look as good as the armchairs, they are much more practical and comfortable and take up far less room. We then picked up Manny and went to the chippy for our dinner, Eva and myself then going for a walk down town so...
Thursday 31 st October 2019 The cabin side was washed and polished to have at least one side looking good for our entry into Middlewich. After visiting the service point at Wheelock and doing another wash, we set off for the run-in. Skirting around the back of Wheelock, Sandbach and Elworth we were surprised to see the amount of new housing that has appeared at the western end of Wheelock since we left the area in July of last year. This was a new development when we left with the site just being levelled, now the majority of the housing seems to be lived in. Crow’s Nest Lock is very much a hidden world with the mill alongside it, and the canal then runs parallel to the Middlewich-Sandbach road, where we were again, surprised to see a ¾ story apartment block nearing completion on the old Murgatroyd Chemical Works site. After Rump’s Lock it was a short distance to Cledford Bridge, where we moored opposite Tracey’s and the grandkids house on Booth Lane. The intention was...
Wednesday 30 th October 2019 Before leaving the mooring, the port hull side was sanded and primed where bare metal was showing. Leaving the mooring at Hassall Green, it is just two locks until the canal passes beneath the M6 motorway. The last lock is more or less on a level with the motorway and it is always good to pause here and reflect. M6 Motorway with Hassall Green Locks behind All the way to Middlewich is very familiar ground, with Sandbach to the right and the church and market hall visible. After the last of the Heartbreak Hill flight of locks, the canal passes beneath the Sandbach-Crewe road and reaches Wheelock, where we moored for the night. Brenda went to the village store while I blackened the hull side. It is always rewarding to blacken the hull or polish the cabin sides as the boat looks so much better for it. The grouting was completed on the mosaic tiles behind the stove and the result lo...