Mill Country

We hadn’t intended moving on today, the long range forecast earlier in the week suggested that it would be the worst day of a rubbish week, wet and windy.
But last night’s weatherman said it wasn’t going to be so bad after all, so we took him at his word and got off about 11:00.

Our neighbours turned up to wave goodbye….
We had a cold wind in our faces all day, but only a few drops of rain. Mags was able to relax, the only time I needed another hand was when we came to Royal Oak Swing Bridge. This mechanised bridge was the first of it’s type I’d encountered a couple of years ago, and I nearly caught a car between the barriers. The driver was not best pleased..
Today we passed through without incident.

Leaving Royal Oak Swing Bridge.
The canal skips around the edge of the town it was named for, leaving it below and to the west of the navigation. This area was well known for silk weaving, and a lot of the mills and warehouses still exist, although now with alternative uses.

A mill with an entirely different purpose sits beside the canal near the Buxton Road. This was the Hovis Mill, until 1904 where all the grain for Hovis loaves was ground. The business outgrew the building, so the process was moved to new premises in Trafford Park. The company kept the building going as the printworks for the bread wrappers and it has now undergone a final transformation into flats.

Hovis Mill. Eeh, bah gum...
Between Macclesfield and Bollington there’s a short rural interlude.

Lambs gambolling. Enjoy it while you can. Who knows what the future holds....
Canada Goslings.
Bollington also had it’s share of mills, this time for cotton, 2 of which stand beside the canal. We pulled in alongside the 1856 Adelphi Mill so I could take a quick shopping excursion into town.

Adelphi Mill
Clarence Mill is on the north side of the town and now contains the Bollington Discovery Centre.

Aqueduct over the River Dean and Clarence Mill
We left Bollington and pushed on another 90 minutes or so, finishing up moored opposite Lyme View Marina.

Today’s trip has been quite long by our standards, over 5 hours. The canal is very shallow in places and this limits the speed at which you can cruise. We’ve averaged around 2 mph.

Having covered this distance today I can put my feet up tomorrow and watch the Spanish Grand Prix. After I’ve done my 10 mile training run, walked the dog and we’ve moved on a mile or so (we’re on 24 hour moorings here). I’ll be ready for a sit down!

Locks 0, miles 10½