Friday 27^th March 2020

The mooring here is fine and quiet with lovely views across the Cheshire countryside but, during yesterday’s walk, we thought the moorings over the aqueduct just before bridge 111 were even better. So after breakfast we moved. Just rounding the corner, we came across Sandra mooring up. We have known Sandra for many years through Middlewich Narrowboats, and it was Sandra who had rewired the boat shortly after her launching. Nearing 70, Sandra has still not retired. She had been stopping and working from Wincham Wharf but decided to move because of the Corona Virus threat.

After speaking to Sandra we continued on, only to find we could not get within 3 feet of the bank because of the notorious Shroppie shelf. Along most of the length of the Shroppie, a shelf sticks out just below the surface meaning boats either bang against it when moored, or tyre fenders have to be used, keeping the boat off the bank. Either way, it’s not ideal. There are various explanations for the shelf but none that are fully substantiated.

With no more suitable moorings before the Shady Oak, we decided to reverse the ¼ mile, returning to the mooring we had left. Thankfully, we did not meet another boat.

In the afternoon, we went for a walk passing the side of Tattenhall Marina. A huge place with the capacity for 300 boats. With only ⅓ occupancy, it appears crowded with boats anyway.

The Cheshire Ice Cream Farm has expanded greatly since we were last here with the grandkids. The site now describes itself as an adventure park with adventure golf, a mini Land-Rover experience, Europe’s largest sand and water play area, ‘Daisy’s Garden’, a play experience with a life-size ice cream tree and an 851m² ice cream parlour selling over 50 flavours of ice cream.

All eerily deserted and resembling a post-apocalyptic scene.