Windy and busy on the Middlewich Branch

We left it till Wednesday to move on up the Branch towards Barbridge. The weather was better and we hoped it would be a little quieter…

I kept an eye on the queue below Stanthorne Lock, but it was just gone eleven by the time there were only a couple of boats waiting to go up. At one point there were five lined up end to end! The trouble is that it’s slow to fill and empty, and, being the first lock in this direction above the extensive Middlewich moorings, tends to be a bottleneck.

Below Stanthorne Lock

The day was fine, dry and bright, but there was a brisk breeze blowing the clouds about in a classic Simpson sky…

Mags was feeling the cold…

…but happy with it!

We didn’t get too far, just a couple of miles, and pulled in Bridges 20 and 19.

There’s a pleasant walk running from Bridge 19 along the edge of the woods and over the Weaver on a small footbridge that I was looking forward to introducing to Amber, but the towpath is closed just this side of the bridge because of repairs further on.

We were going to move on today, but the wind put us off so we stayed put and watched the bundled-up boat crews zipping past as if the air friction would warm them up… With springs both ends and a bow breast rope we didn’t move about – much.

We’ll definitely be on the move tomorrow though, honest!

Locks 1, 2¾