We weren’t sure how far to go today, but with wet weather due tomorrow and Saturday we wanted to cruise at least part way to Nantwich in the dry. We’re heading there to pick up supplies before turning around, back to Hurleston and up onto the Llangollen on Saturday – or maybe Sunday.
Away from Cholmondeston this morning.
No locks to do today, so Mags stayed inside. With sun in short supply and a brisk breeze it was decidedly chilly. Time to break out the long trousers, I think.
An escapee on the moorings near Bridge 3
His mates were in the field alongside.
Permanent moorings both sides up to Barbridge Junction
I didn’t quite make the turn onto the main line in one, the wind kept pushing the fore end around, bit I didn’t make too much of a mess of it.
Heading south on the Shroppie.
Built in 1779 the Chester Canal was a link from the salt town of Nantwich and the River Dee in Chester. Terminal basins were built at both ends. The Ellesmere Canal, opened 18 years later, linked the Chester end to The Mersey at Ellesmere port, improving the fortunes of the navigation. Facing increasing railway competition in the mid-eighteenth century, the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company was formed in 1846, taking under it’s umbrella the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal from Nantwich to Autherley near Woverhampton, the Chester and Ellesmere Canals, the Llangollen Branch and the Middlewich Branch, among others.
The plan was to build railways on some of the routes, a cheaper option than a totally new line. But luckily this was shelved, and the main line from Ellesmere Port to the Black Country was still profitable well into the last century.
The wide Chester Canal, built to barge standards with wide bridges and a deep and broad channel.
Hurleston Locks, gateway to the Llangollen Canal.
We’ll be heading up there at the weekend. We can’t leave it any later, work starts on the bottom lock on Monday, a full rebuild which will take until Easter.
Coming into Nantwich with the terminal basin of the Chester Canal off to the right and the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal straight ahead. Note the narrow bridges, now.
The embankment moorings, both sides of the aqueduct, were busy, but there was plenty of space where we were headed, around the corner.
We passed Bridge 91, turned around and moored up back a ways.
Definitely stopping here tomorrow, we’ll see how bad the weather actually turns out to be on Saturday before we decide to head back.
Locks 0, miles 6
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