Down and out – of Middlewich.

Yesterday we left the mooring below Stanthorne Lock where we spent three nights. A dull sort of day with little sign of sunshine.

Looking back at Stanthorne Lock

Twenty minutes on under the several bridges crossing the canal here we arrived at Wardle Lock, just having to wait for a few moments while a boat finished coming up.

Below the lock we pulled back to fill the water tank, watching the boats going up and down this busy junction.

Tank full and we followed another boat who’d just filled with diesel at Kings Lock, squeezing through the narrow gaps between boats at the former Middlewich Narrowboats hire base, now operated by Floating Holidays.

About 35 minutes later we’d dropped down the three Middlewich locks with the help of a pair of volunteers, and cruised past Andersen Boats, where we hired a boat probably thirty years ago now.

Supervisor…

We pulled in near the small park between the winding hole and Big Lock, around lunchtime.

A couple of trips up into town saw the cupboards full enough to last a few days, but we decided to stay put for the rest of the day as the rain had started in earnest.

It was still raining when Amber and I went out this morning but it cleared by late morning so we set off.

Below Big Lock was a small flotilla of boats off the Bridgewater milling about, of course they don’t have any use for locks up there on the Duke’s Cut.

Leaving the town the canal crosses Croxton Aqueduct, a narrow iron replacement for the original wide stone one.

The north end of the Trent and Mersey was built to accommodate barges carrying Middlewich salt, hence the broad Big Lock and the wider than normal flat-topped bridges.

 

The canal follows the River Dane valley for quite a way, hemmed in by the wooded banks giving dappled shade when the sun popped out.

Another lunchtime finish saw us moored alongside the large flash in pleasant sunshine. We did have a couple of showers this afternoon though. A couple of nights here, methinks.

Locks 5, miles 5 (2 days)