Ambling back to Anderton

It’s been pretty windy these last couple of days, but, although we’ve had some heavy spells of rain, we’ve not had it anything like as bad in South Yorkshire. The news yesterday evening showed narrowboats up on the towpath at Todmorden.
It was last spring we were up on the Calder and Hebble, after similar high water in January. NB Pipestrelle was high and dry on the towpath then.

The river Calder runs alongside the canal here, and burst it’s banks, flooding the navigation.

Tuesday was a fine dry day, at least until evening. So I took the chance and sanded the right hand side below the gunwale in preparation for painting. Still fine, I slapped a coat of paint on by roller. Pushing my luck now, I thought, but I was on a roll so turned around in the flash and did the same on the left side.
OK, it’s not to my usual standard. It’d normal take me a few days to sand out, prime and fill the scratches and scrapes so they did not show through the final coat. This was just a quick sanding to key the surface and remove any loose paint. But it has made it look a lot better, at least from 5 feet away!
I just got away with it. The left side was just tacking off when the first of the evening showers arrived.

After rain yesterday today’s forecast was for dry but windy weather. So we thought we’d make a move back towards Anderton. They were right about the wind, strong gusts in the early hours got Mags out of bed to check whether everything was OK with the boat rocking so much. Me, I slept the sleep of the just and the innocent. Didn’t hear a thing.

There’s a handy Spar shop near bridge 83, and we were running short of milk so decided to make a quick stop. There’s a winding (turning) hole there as well, and when we arrived NB Empire No 2 was making hard work of turning around. Every time they got the stern around it was blown back again by the strong wind coming through the bridge ‘ole.
So I hopped off and took a line to pull the stern around. We got the boat around, but then the wind blew her across the winding hole, and held her fast in the shallows.

Empire No 2 stuck.
I manoeuvred alongside, took the bow line and towed her back into the channel.
The chap had only bought her a couple of months ago, and was taking her back to Wincham Wharf for a repaint.

Shopping done, we pushed on past the large Brunner Mond chemical works.

There’re some good moorings just before the factory, handy for Rudheath.

The works straddles the canal.
They produce a variety of alkali products for industry, and are working towards building a “sustainable energy plant” using non-hazardous waste and biomass (plant material) as a fuel. There’s a leaflet here describing the proposal. The fuel is to be transported by road and rail. I wonder if they’ve considered water? The site is ideally placed, and there’s only one lock between here and Manchester…….

Past all the moored boats at Wincham Wharf, and around the tight left hander at Wincham Bend, there’s a clear run to the extended line of moorings around the Lion Salt Works at Marston.

Moorings near Marston
We pulled over on one of our regular spots, just on the edge of Marbury Wood.
It’s very pleasant down on the flashes, but there’s an absence of footpaths away from the canal. Walking the same bit of towpath every day gets a bit boring, so Meg and I had a good stroll this afternoon, through the woods and across to Anderton, and back through the nature park on the south side of the canal. She almost got her first squirrel, just a couple of feet away. She was so close when it shot up a tree that she made it part way up as well, all four paws hanging on the trunk for a second.

Locks 0, miles 4½

Leaving the squirrels in peace…..

Time for a move again today. I’m afraid this is what the next few weeks will consist of; a few hours cruise, a few days stopped. At least until the way south and east is open again. Big Lock at Middlewich is due to re-open after gate repairs on the 18th December, and then we’ll be heading down to Great Haywood. The plan is to get a berth in the new marina for a week or so, hire a car and do the Christmas visiting from there. Well, that’s the plan, anyway.

When we moored at the edge of Marbury Wood there were a couple of guys fishing, with a tent up on the towpath. They stayed until Friday, suffering the wind and rain that was thrown at us, before upping sticks and toddling off.
I checked to see if they’d left their rubbish behind, it’s more common than you’d think. You might expect that if these guys had carried their cans of Asda Extra Strong Lager and sweetcorn for the fish to the fishing spot, they’d be able to carry the empties back. Not always the case.
On this occasion there was only the errant margarine box and a few odd bits of newspaper. Until I looked closer….

22 Double A batteries, no less! I wonder what they used them for?
Anyway, they’re now in the rubbish at Anderton Services. Not ideal I know, but a better solution than letting them corrode in the undergrowth.

Meg and I have had some enjoyable walks around the area, there’s lots of paths around the Marbury Country Park, The Anderton Nature Reserve, and down on the river. I bet the squirrels will be glad to see the back of us! She's not actually caught one, but she's given them plenty of exercise.

Today was the first properly good day for a while, with patchy blue skies and a warm sun when it showed it's face. So we decided to move on, past Northwich, to the flashes, areas where the canal has flowed into subsidence following salt brine extraction.

We were just preparing to go when Mags said “There’s a small boat going past”. I looked up, expecting to see a small cruiser or truncated narrow boat cruising by, to see this..

Tug Ben Appleton
She was out on her maiden voyage, and, apart from a dodgy starboard rudder, behaved well.

Tug and proud crew.

We went back to Anderton, to the services, before turning around and heading south.

BW services at Anderton, Uplands Marina on the left, Anderton Marina on the right.

NB Sancerre has just pulled out of Uplands. You can imagine how busy this place can be on a summer Bank Holiday weekend!

Wincham Wharf was busy with boats for sale on the water and on the bank. We came to look at a couple of possibles here on our boat search, but finished up down the road at Rudheath.

Wincham Wharf. Wanna buy a boat, mister?
Orchard Marina is where we bought Seyella. I see they’ve put new signs up….

But the sign saying “Pump-out out of order” is still there. And the sign advertising diesel, coal and logs for sale now says diesel, coal and logs for sale. Hmm, no change there then.

One disappointment was the coalman, who moored just along from the marina, has ceased trading. Have to find an alternative supply now.

Just 15 minutes further on we pulled over on the edge of the larger of the 2 flashes. The smaller one, called Billinge Green Flash from the nearby farm, was the proposed site of a new marina. I say was, permission has been declined twice.

Billinge Green Flash
The wreck marking the shallows hasn’t improved with age….

We’ll be staying here a few days, I guess.

I’ve had problems with my laptop recently. Toshibas are apparently know for overheating as they get older, one of the solutions is to raise the unit off the table to give better airflow to the fans. I made a frame up to do this last year, but over the last month the problem has got steadily worse, the machine overheating and shutting down after about an hour with the cooling fans running flat out.
So I thought I’d bite the bullet and strip it down, to see if I could find the problem. I used to build PCs, and have upgraded plenty in the past, but laptops are new territory. You have to be a bit inventive to get one of these babies apart, believe me!

Anyway, it succumbed in the end, and I found the problem.

The copper coloured thingy is the cooling fin assembly on top of the processor. The 2 fans blow air through the matrix to keep it cool. The 2 felt-like pads on the top were blocking the matrix completely, mixture of fluff and dust that can’t be seen or removed from outside of the case. No wonder the poor thing was getting hot under the collar.

So an hour carefully stripping it down, 2 minutes to clean it out and 10 minutes re-assembly (I knew what I was doing by then) and it’s running like a song. Using less power (the fans aren’t running as much), running faster with a cooler CPU and more reliably. I wonder how many have been thrown out for a similar problem.
It’s still showing it’s age a bit though. One of the two USB ports hasn’t worked for months, and if I hit the M too hard the key flies off. The optical drive has to be coaxed into reading CDs or DVDs, and the eject button on the card slot fell off last year. But it’s my friend, and I love it.

Locks 0, miles 6

Moving on – A pair of tunnels and a change of scenery.

We thought it was about time we moved on a bit, we were in danger of taking root! We’ve had a few different neighbours, hire boats either side of the weekend from Anderton, and a couple of private boats too.

Meg and I have enjoyed the walking around here. There’s easy access to the Weaver by a couple of routes, the towpath is not too muddy and Long Acre Wood is stuffed full of exciting smells for a dog’s nose.

Squirrels, squirrels!

It’s been a bit showery though, so we hung on till today’s good forecast.

Heading off.

The canal winds it’s way along the slope on the northern side of the Weaver valley, with good views across the river.

Above the river
There’s another popular mooring spot a mile or so further on from our last mooring. In fact, if it hadn’t started raining we’d probably have finished up here.

NB Harry and Astroturf roof.
At Acton Bridge there’s a Black Prince hire base. It’s always busy here, with lots of boats moored or, in the season, milling about.

Acton Bridge
If you’re going to meet another boat, sod’s law says it’s going to be here. All quiet today though.

There are 2 Acton Bridges. On the canal it’s a modest brick arched affair, but down on the river just a few hundred yards away it’s an impressive lattice constructed steel swing bridge. Sorry, couldn’t get a decent picture from the canal.

I’d planned to be at Saltersford Tunnel in time to catch the 11:30 transit window, but, with slowing for all the moored boats and spending several minutes at tick-over trying (unsuccessfully) to get an elusive kingfisher on film, we arrived a few minutes late. Not to worry, it’s not as if we’re in a rush to get anywhere.

Moored at Saltersford Tunnel.
I took the opportunity to follow the horse path over the top, and had a look into the basin between the two tunnels.
The canal is very wide here, with evidence of wharves on both sides. With a road giving access to the river at Saltersford Lock, it’s likely to have been for transhipment between the two navigations before the construction of the boat lift.

I'm quite fond of these 2 tunnels, hanging on the hillside above the river. Saltersford, the shorter of the 2 by 150 yards, twists and turns through the ridge. This makes it impossible to see the far end, even though it’s only 424 yards away. It’s only a couple of years since timed entry was introduced. Before that it was always a bit of gamble, hoping you got past the middle before meeting a boat coming the other way. The one nearest it’s respective entrance was expected to reverse out again. Interesting, especially with hire bases at either end! Barnton, on the other hand, must have been laid out when the surveyor was sober. Apart from a touch to the right near the end, it’s straight and the end is visible. There are no timed restrictions on this one, you just have to look to see that nothing is coming.

Into Barnton Tunnel. The spot of light between the underside of the arch and the top of the boat is the far end.







¾ of a mile further on the entrance to the boat lift is passed.

Anderton Lift
We’ll be dropping the 50’ on this next week. Have to remember to book, though; out of season it’s operated on a reduced schedule.

We made a stop at the facilities, then cruised through Marbury Wood (more squirrels!) and moored just on the far edge. There’s a short section of concrete with a few rings here with a view across the canal. TV is good here, as well.

Marbury Wood. Another set of squirrels for Meg to terrorise…..
Locks 0, Miles 6½

Crossing the Line

We had a grandstand view of bonfire parties over Runcorn way last night. There were some pretty impressive display, pretty expensive too!
They were lucky in that the afternoon rain had cleared, leaving a dry night.

We got off this morning at around 10, with a visit to make to the Sanitary Station around the corner on the Runcorn Arm. Chores done, we turned back out onto the short branch down to Preston Brook Tunnel and the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Hire boats at Claymore Navigation
A delightful run-about, Star.
The tunnel is one-way, operated on a timed basis. Southbound, we could enter from ½ past the hour to 20 to, and we had a 15 minute wait for our 10 minute window.

Waiting for the tunnel.

With no boats following, and plenty of time to get through, I took the opportunity of stop in the tunnel for some photos. I should have told Mags first though, she thought we’d broken down!

Looking up an air shaft.
A lot of bricks go into lining a tunnel.
The repaired section near the middle, now lined with pre-cast concrete sections.
The tunnel was opened in the 1770’s, and was extensively repaired in 1984. At 1239 yards long it’s the second longest on the Trent and Mersey, and the northern end marks the junction between this canal and the Bridgewater.

The predicted rain had arrived by the time we emerged into daylight. So it was quickly through Dutton Stop Lock, and we pulled in about 15 minutes further on.

Dutton Stop Lock is an odd size, being about 11’ wide. It has a drop from the T&M of only a couple of inches, but effectively protects the 15 mile pound to Middlewich in the event of a breach on the Bridgewater. On the other hand, if one of the embankments of the T&M above the Weaver failed, the maintenance guys for the Bridgewater will have to be quick with the stop planks to prevent their canal from emptying through the tunnel and backwards through the lock.

Locks 1, miles 3½

A damp afternoon

Tescoman arrived on time yesterday, and we spent a happy hour putting everything away. There was a handy mobile burger van on the layby, so I indulged myself in a cholesterol burger for lunch. By then though the showers had started again, so we chose to stay put until today.

Even with the showers over the last 36 hours, the Tuesday night bonfire at the pub was still smouldering as we filled up with water this morning.

One mean bonfire….
Into Lymm for a bit of shopping (the stuff I’d forgotten to put on the Tesco order, WHISKY, for example), and the popular moorings were busy as usual.

Lymm
We waited out one heavy shower, then pushed on at around 12:30. Probably the worst decision I’ve made recently. It didn’t stop raining all afternoon, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, but continuous. I wore my rubber legs for only the second time in the last 3 years! We don’t usually move in the rain…

On the Bridgewater there’s a lot of boats with the hull below the waterline painted rather than blacked.

There’s blue….
Red….
And grey.

I’ve not seen this anywhere else, I wonder why on this canal?

From Lymm the canal runs through Grappenhall, then Stockton Heath. It was here, at London Road Bridge, that it paused on it’s way to Runcorn. Quite a long pause, in fact, from 1771 to 1776.
Wharfs, warehouses and offices were built here, mostly now demolished. The last remnant is leased by Thorn Marine.
This too is under threat. The owner, Peel Holdings (formerly The Manchester Ship Canal Company, before that the Bridgewater Canal Company), want the land for redevelopment. More canalside des-res’s, I guess. Thorn is hanging on by the skin of it’s teeth. There’s an active campaign to keep the boatyard open.

We plodded on, through the wind and rain, and pulled over in the wilds a mile or 2 short of Preston Brook.

Locks 0, miles 12.

A rare treat.

The Worsley mooring was fine apart from the traffic noise. It’s a shame that such a pretty village is marred by having a main road running through it and the M60 on an embankment to the north. Still, the locals probably thought the same when the Duke built his canal….. I guess that’s progress.

We had rain overnight, which eased to showers by morning. Even so, there were some hefty bursts, so we hung on till just after 11 before shoving off.
A good decision as it turned out, we had fine weather all day, even a bit of sun, and moored just before the next band of showers moved in from the west.

Worsley Boatyard has been in existence as long as the canal, and has what is believed to be the oldest working dry dock on the network.

Worsley Boatyard.
It was here that the “starvationers”, the specially designed boats for use in the underground workings, were built.

There’s a lot of new residential development going on on the outskirts, The Boatyard is even using a narrowboat to promote it’s canalside location.

The Boatyard development
Lighthouse? at Monton
I’ve always been a big fan of commercial use of inland waterways, after all that’s what they were built for. So I was delighted when we arrived at the Barton Swing Aqueduct to be told that there were 2 freighters due, heading for Manchester, and the aqueduct was to be opened.

We crossed the span and moored on the holding moorings, and I walked back to watch the operation.

Two gates are closed at either end of the aqueduct to contain the water.

The 1450 ton sealed span is then swung open, pivoting about it’s centre on a huge roller bearing.

The road bridge alongside was opened and the 2 boats allowed through.

“Gina ‘D’” was a bit of a disappointment………..
But the dredger “WD Mersey” made up for it.
Heading for Manchester

Seeing these 2, and the awesome aqueduct in use, made my day.
The rest of the trip was a bit of an anticlimax, but the wide, deep and straight waters of the Bridgewater made for easy cruising.

A right turn at Water's Meeting

Burnt out NB Freedom alongside Edge Lane Bridge. I hope no-one was aboard when that happened.
There’s a fibreglass shell behind, gutted to the waterline. I wonder if it was the same incident?

From north of Sale to Altrincham the navigation runs dead straight, a distance of over 2 miles. The Sale Cruising Club has extensive moorings on the offside of this length.

About ½ way down the long straight, Marsland Road Bridge.
The Victorians knew how to build with style and impact.

The administration building behind is even more impressive.

Linotype was a process whereby a line of type (Linotype- gettit?) was constructed and cast in metal, then assembled with other “slugs” to produce a block which is used to print. It revolutionised the printing process. A lot more info on Wikipedia.
And a bit of history for the factory here.

We moored for the night at one of our favourite spots on the Bridgewater, just before Dunham Woodhouses Underbridge.

Moored near Dunham.
We’ve a Tesco delivery due tomorrow, around the corner near Ye Olde Number 3 pub, so we’ll not be going far. We need to stock up, so it’ll take most of the afternoon to stow it!

Locks 0, miles 11½

In the birthplace of the modern canal age…

Worsley, of course. Although it could be argued that the Romans started it, with the Fossdyke to Lincoln. But they didn’t pursue the idea to it’s logical conclusion, preferring to build roads instead.

We took a day off yesterday. We’ve cruised for 6 days on the trot, culminating in the Wigan Flight, so I reckon we deserved it. Anyhow the weather was ‘orrible yesterday, wet and windy. Meg and I got wet through twice, taking our constitutionals.

Today was much better, still breezy but no longer gale force, grey but dry. So we were off around 10:30, and had an uneventful cruise to Leigh.

Pennington Flash

Duck! No, Swans!
NB Kingfisher is looking no better than when we last came this way. Still sitting on the bottom near Bridge 6.

Someone's pride and joy, once.
The bridge keeper at Plank Lane must have one of the best jobs on the network. We’ve seen 4 boats on the move all day. Not exactly rushed off his feet! In fact there are busier opening bridges around that are boater operated.
It’s curiously known as Plank Lane Swing Bridge, although it actually lifts!

Plank Lane Swing Bridge
Leigh is the next town on the canal. It’s here, at Leigh Bridge, that we left the Leeds and Liverpool (Leigh Branch) and make an end-on connection with the Bridgewater Canal.

Leigh Bridge, we’re now officially on the Bridgewater Canal

Leigh is known as a mill town, and you can see why. There are some fine examples of 19thC industrial architecture not far from the canal.

Leigh Mills
Leigh Spinning Company Ltd
This area used to bristle with coal mines, all gone now. The only reminders are the landscaped slag heaps and the remaining headgear at Astley Green, now a Mining Museum.

Winding Gear at Astley Green.
We pulled in for the night at Worsley, after about 3 hours cruising.

Into Leafy Worsley
The Packet House and Worsley Delph
The Delph

The Delph is the basin and entrances to The Duke of Bridgewater’s mines. It was from here to Castlefield in Manchester that the canal was cut in 1763, bypassing the poor roads and making the transport of the coal from the mine so much easier and cheaper. It was the success of this project that led to the boom in canal construction, most of the results of which we’re lucky enough to be able to enjoy today.
The canal was later extended to Leigh meeting the branch of the L&L we’ve travelled these last two days, and also south to the Trent and Mersey and to Runcorn.
There's lots of information on Pennine Waterways site here.

Locks 0, miles 9