We left Wrenbury yesterday, dropping down the Baddiley and Swanley Locks to moor just past Burland.
Half an hours pleasant cruise found us at the top of the three Baddiley Locks, with it set ready for us as a boat had just left heading up. And even more usefully there was a boat below waiting for the lock, and the crew emptied the lock for me! Result!
In fact we were lucky at all bar one of the five locks negotiated yesterday, I had to close the bottom gates of Swanley Top Lock as there wasn’t anyone waiting.
After an easy 2½ sunny hours in we pulled in between bridges 5 and 4 at just before lunchtime.
It was clear and cool last night, but today started off bright and sunny. Amber and I set off across the dew-damp fields to Park Farm to see the latest straw bale creation. Every year a new impressive figure rises above the fields near the farm, we’ve had a Dalek, rabbit , Winnie the Pooh that I know of. This year it’s a giant bumble-bee.
This was the second time I’d been across, Park Farm is the home of Snugbury’s excellent ice cream so I thought I’d go and get some yesterday afternoon. With a 50 some vehicle queue for the drive-through and a hundred yard long queue for the shop I gave that a miss. It’s very popular…
Anyway, by the time we’d got ready to go today the skies had clouded up and the wind had freshened, making the start of today’s trip to Nantwich rather cooler than yesterday.
We topped up the water tank above Hurleston Locks then dropped down the four to emerge onto the Shroppie main line.
Looking down the flight.
With two volunteers working the steady stream of boats up and down was moving quite nicely, and we were heading for Nantwich soon after noon.
The end of the old Chester Canal to the right, the start of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal ahead, both now parts of the Shropshire Union Canal.
Moored up on the embankment just as the sun starts to break through – finally.
I took a walk up to the pet shop in Nantwich this afternoon and bought Amber a couple of “indestructible” soft chew toys…
They did stay intact for about half an hour…
We’re once again killing time. Mags has a follow-up appointment at the Royal Shrewsbury next week, they want to make sure that her tubes are clear following the problems with gallstones early in the year. So we’ll be going back up Hurleston at the weekend to take up a two-night berth in Swanley Bridge Marina. We’ll go to the hospital from there.
Locks 9, miles 8 (two days)
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