Saturday, August 22, 2020

Lots of changes around Northwich…

We left the flashes on Thursday morning after a couple of days of peace and quiet, heading for the hustle and bustle of Anderton.

Reflections on Tuesday evening

Sunrise on Thursday

It was fine and sunny, but cooler with a brisk breeze blowing as we made our way north.

The marina at Billinge Green Flash is now up and running, after several years of toing and froing with the local planning department.

A bit of a change from when the derelict Brill was a marker for the shallows…

A bit of info here if you’re interested.

Hauled out during dredging

A little further on, on the towpath side, Park Farm Marina is fully operational too.

Then another short distance along Orchard Marina, where Seyella was built in 2006, comes into view.

Something’s going on here too…

The basin is completely empty for dredging (it needed it!), the two dry docks and workshop have are gone and are being replaced by another building under construction. For some time the marina has been mainly moorings anyway. I wonder where all the boats went? Probably into the new marinas we’ve just passed.

As it a couple of years ago…

The derelict land opposite the Broken Cross pub has sprouted a new housing development…

Moving on past the Tata salt works and there’s a new pipe bridge crossing the canal adorned with some fancy artwork visualising the processing of brine…

NaCl + H2O (salt + water) converted to C12 (Alkyl Benzoate, a hydrocarbon used in cosmetics), H (Hydrogen) and Na OH (Caustic Soda). If my schoolboy chemistry is right…

I‘m sure there was some sort of works behind those trees approaching Bridge 192…

…And the slowly subsiding house on the other side of the bridge has been replaced by a couple of new ones.

Hope the foundations are good!

Finally the decayed wooden evaporation shed at the Lion Salt Works is now just a hole in the ground.

Blimey, we’ve only been gone for two years!

We cruised on through Marbury Wood, topped up the water and disposed of rubbish and recycling at the services, then moved on hoping in vain to get a mooring this side of the boat lift, so we turned around, came back to Anderton Marina, turned again and tied up under the trees opposite. Not the best spot but it has done us for a couple of nights.

Later on today we’ll be dropping down onto the river, booking is at 15:15. But I don’t think we’ll be going far once we’re down. Not for a day or two, anyway.

Amber and I have had some good walks around the parks on both sides of the canal. 

And we were in time to see Mack, Sue and grand-daughter Lily on Yarwood coming back up the lift yesterday morning.

 

Locks 0, miles 6

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