We were away about 11:00, motoring past NB Dreckley. I’d had a good chat yesterday afternoon with Iain and Ann, being very familiar with the Rufford Branch and the Lancaster Canal they gave me some valuable advice for our forthcoming Ribble Link trip.
NB Dreckley this morning.
The canal soon reaches the outer suburbs of Warrington, but passes through a cutting near the Walton Estate. Now administered by Warrington Borough Council, the hall and gardens are open to the public.
Laburnum and Rhododendrons near Walton
The canal skirts the urban areas of Stockton Heath and Grappenhall before a short rural interlude to the popular town of Lymm.
Good to see that Thorn Marine is still here.
They’ve been facing eviction by Peel Holdings (the owners) for a couple of years now.
Just the other side of London Road Bridge there’s one of the typical cranes and stack of stop planks for use in the event of a breach. These are regularly sited along the canal.
Crane and stop planks at London Road Bridge.
A lot of the Bridgewater is built on embankments and is vulnerable to breaches. With 45 miles of level pound (including the section of the Leeds and Liverpool from Leigh to Poolstock) there’s a lot of water to be lost if they fail to react quickly enough.
We pulled over just beyond the bridge so I could dispose of two dead batteries at the handy recycling centre. They’d been lurking in the well deck for the last couple of months.
Just as we got going again we met the ex-British Waterways Board motorboat Shad towing the restored Thomas Clayton horse boat Gifford. Both of these normally reside at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port. They’re both getting on a bit; Gifford was built in 1926, and Shad just 10 years later.
Shad and Gifford 
Into Lymm and the popular moorings were busy as usual.
Lymm moorings, just one or two spaces.
The town is a good place for spotting well-fed water fowl. Ducklings and cygnets appear early here, due to a superabundance of bread….
Our first cygnets.
At just a few weeks old the ducklings have learned that boats generally mean food….
Wait for us!
Leaving Lymm we had another couple of miles (dry by now) to The Olde Number 3 pub, where we stopped for the night. Not our usual overnight halt here, it’s too close to the busy Lymm Road. But it’s on the offside (righthand side) of the canal, so I can finish a last bit of painting on the right side gunwale. I got the sanded paint on the gunwale top this afternoon; all being well I’ll get a top coat on to seal it before we move on tomorrow. We’ve a Tesco delivery tomorrow morning as well, and it’s very handy here. He can park up just feet from our side hatch.
Locks 0, miles 8½
1 comment:
Hi Geoff & Mags,
We see Dreckley a lot, both out on the canal & when they come in the marina for supplies etc. Thanks for posting a link to their blog, didn't know they had one!
We don't know Iain & Ann personally, so I've left a message on their blog. Dave's just told me he's spoken to them when he's been sat on the end of the jetty fishing & they've floated past lol. They're quite a way from home at the mo, hope they having a good time.
Heth
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