An abundance of anglers and a sprinkling of locks.

Today we left our mooring of the last couple of nights on the edge of Middlewich.

Our hawthorn bush has perfumed the boat in the mornings through the windows, and shaded Meg in the afternoon.
This is 08:20, just look at the sky! Apart from some high haze first thing in the mornings we’ve not seen a cloud for several days.

Just around the corner is Big Lock, aptly named as it’s bigger than the rest….

Approaching Big Lock
There used to be a line of permanently moored boats on the left but they’ve all gone now since the new housing development appeared on the opposite bank. I hope the two events aren’t linked, but I suspect they might be….

Today there was just a lone fisherman, but we brought him a bit of luck…

Good sized perch

Looking back at the Kingfishers development from Big Lock

There’s just time for a coffee before the first of the three Middlewich Locks is reached. These are now all narrow like all the locks we’ll see till we get to Braunston, and were against us this morning. But they’re quick to fill and empty, and on such a gorgeous morning, who cares anyway?

Mags waits patiently as I set up Lock 75


We met a boat coming down in L73, then carried on through the town, past Wardle Junction and into Kings Lock.

Wardle Junction
Under the bridge leads to the 100 yard long Wardle Canal, built by the Trent and Mersey Canal Company so they kept control of this potentially lucrative trade route. Beyond Wardle Lock is the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Nosing into Kings Lock

Mags checks that she’s all the way in…

It was heading out of town that we met the first line of anglers sitting in the sun.

The fine weather had had an effect on their general demeanour. Out of the 19 in the first group, 10 actually “let on”, instead of delving in the recesses of tackle boxes or finding something fascinating about a half-drowned maggot…

Looking back from Rumps Lock

For a mile or so the canal and the busy Sandbach road run side by side, and we passed another group of hopefuls before the Booth Lane Locks. Not such a good result this time, barely half a dozen acknowledged our presence. Maybe they didn't see us…

Booth Lane Locks
The road swings away before Crows Nest Lock, our last lock of the day and the start of yet another long line of blokes desperate for a bite.

Crows Nest Lock

Another mile and a half and we pulled up at around 12:15, opposite Yeoman’s Farm near the delightfully named Paddy’s Wood, although there doesn’t seem to be much of a wood around..

Paddy’s “Wood”.

We were immediately visited by a young mum keen on showing off the little ones, and of course hoping for maybe a little bread?

Spare us a crust, Guv?

Now we’re amongst the locks we’re starting the long climb up to the Stoke plateau culminating in the gloomy 1¾ miles of the Harecastle Tunnel. Then it’s back down the other side. Who ever said water finds it’s own level?

I feel a bit sorry for the aging Englebert Humperdinck, who, dragged across the Atlantic from his home in sunny Southern California, had to represent England in the Eurovision Song Contest. Did no-one else want to do it? Whether it was politics or just a rubbish song (it was a bit dreary, wasn't it?) I'm glad he upheld the great tradition of coming in anything other than first. In fact, with just 12 points (douze point) we came in very close to last. But we did beat our friends the Norwegians...
Never mind, we won't get the Hump...

Locks 9, miles 5¾

We’ve got another ‘ole!

Canal life seems to be full of ‘oles. There’s bridge ‘oles, engine ‘oles, coal ‘oles. And now we’ve one more; a book ‘ole!


There already was a small ‘ole ‘ere. Orchard in their infinite wisdom had fitted the central heating controller here, right where it would get wet in less than clement weather, and handy for the knuckles to switch on as you adjust the throttle. I soon relocated it to the end of the wardrobe (just reach out of bed and push the button on those frosty mornings), and covered the ‘ole with a bit of scrap ply.

Musing the other day on storage and how you can never have enough bits and pieces ‘oles, especially close to the steerer, I decided to make use of the dead space behind, enlarge the existing aperture and make up a box assembly for the inside.

So there you have it. A guide book ‘ole. Or a camera ‘ole. Or a gloves ‘ole. It’s not tall enough to be a beer bottle ‘ole….

I even polished the makers plate before refitting it!

This morning we had a fair bit of traffic streaming past, then it eased off around lunchtime only to kick off again later in the afternoon. Some considerate, slowing down as they passed, some not so, then having to hastily select reverse to line up for the narrow aqueduct just around the corner.
Funnily enough it wasn't so much the hire boats that were chasing about....

Locks 0, miles 0

It’s raining blossom…

Travelling from the flashes towards Middlewich this morning there are several wooded sections to pass through, and the brisk breeze was causing a snowstorm of blossom in places! But the smells of hawthorn blossom and fresh cut grass as a local farmer gets his first crop in were fantastic!

As I was finishing last nights post the local swans kept coming back to try their luck…

The whole world loves a trier… but he still didn’t get any more bread!
There’s a new marina being built on the towpath side between Orchard Marina and the Davenham Road. It seem to have slowed to almost a standstill, but there’s still equipment there and the latest addition is the other half of the towpath bridge that will cross the entrance channel.

Park Farm (I think) Marina.

We had only a short trip to make today, so left it till the morning surge of traffic had died a little, getting away around 11:00.

Leaving south flash.
The white dot in the middle is the ever-hungry swan.

If I had to choose, I’d be hard-pressed to decide which stretch of the T&M I prefer, the bit north of the tunnels along the Weaver valley or this bit south of Rudheath heading towards Middlewich and running above the River Dane.

Near Whatcroft


Lovely, isn’t it.

The towpaths haven’t been cut yet this year, and that spell of rain followed by this warm weather has really got them going.

We need to do a bit of shopping in Middlewich, but don’t particularly like to moor in the town so stop between Croxton Flash and Croxton Aqueduct. Close enough to walk, far enough away not to be bothered.

Croxton Flash

Moored near Bridge 175

We’ll take a day out tomorrow, then head through the town on Sunday. Starting reasonably early, we should start to catch boats coming down the locks as we go up by the time we get to the narrow ones. That’s the plan, anyway.

Graham and Jennifer on NB Best O’ Mates went past this morning and gave us a shout. They, too, have a heap of wood on the roof, the result of foraging last week before the weather took a turn for the better. Ah well, it’ll still be there come Autumn… I’ll have to get a tarp or something though to make it look a little tidier.

Locks 0, miles 3

Just a Quickie

Only a short post tonight; I want to get out and enjoy the evening sunshine, rather than sitting here tapping away! I do have a good view from the hatch here, though.

Moored at South Flash

Leaving Anderton we passed Bruce and Sheila’s old boat moored outside the marina.

Original NB Sanity

Marbury Wood looked splendid with the sun spearing through the green canopy…

Marbury Wood

Just around the corner are some quiet moorings looking out towards Great Budworth. It was quieter still in January 2010, when we were stuck here for 3 weeks.


From here to the Lion Salt Works at Marston the canal is on a new line built in 1958 to bypass a section that was in danger of disappearing down into old salt workings.

“New” 1950’s channel
I’m not sure where the original route ran, probably to the west (left). It’s all been lost due to subsidence.

We left the rural section to swing around to the east of Northwich, turning to the south at Wincham Turn. Wincham Wharf is busy as usual, several canal-related businesses operate from here.

Wincham Wharf
There’s been a few boats about today, we gave way to a convoy of three at Broken Cross.

Bridge 184

We moored on the southerly of the two flashes south of Rudheath, getting tied up at around 1 o’clock. Initially on our own, but now there’s several boats here.

It’s been another fantastic day, a day for spotting youngsters following Mum and Dad around.

Ducklings near Marston
Cygnets near Broken Cross 

The flashes are well know for their populations of Great Crested Grebes.

No “grebelings” to be seen yet.

I opened the side hatch alongside the dinette and got mugged by this lot….


I don’t think you can get enough of chick pics, do you?

Locks 0, miles 5½

On to Anderton

But first I’d better put the record straight. On Monday’s post I rattled on about the Port of Manchester and may have given the impression that the Manchester Ship Canal is no longer used. In fact it is still carrying cargo, although the bulk of the activity centres around Ellesmere Port and Stanlow Refinery at the western end of the canal. There is however, some freight moved further inland; Tesco and Procter and Gamble use a container shuttle service between Liverpool and Irlam Container Terminal, 28 miles in, and there is a scrap metal recycling operation at Irwell Park Wharf, another 4 miles inland.
The furthest in is Mainmast’s bulk grain deliveries for Premier Foods, to the Rank Hovis Mill at Salford.
Unfortunately, as reported in June’s Waterway’s World, the unloading facility has been closed by Peel Ports for redevelopment as part of the new Media City complex, so the 30,000 tonnes annually is now being shipped by road. Mainmast are looking for an alternative site for offloading.

Anyhow, back to the smaller scale operation of moving an 18 ton narrowboat south on the Trent and Mersey.

Meg enjoyed another run around Long Acre Woods this morning before we set off, though I’m not sure that the squirrels were very impressed! We had a bit of a later start, by the time we were ready several boats had passed us in both directions.

Moving out from near Long Acre Woods.
You can see where I trimmed the bankside vegetation….

The Trent and Mersey is a huge contrast to the Bridgewater, gone are the wide, deep waters, replaced by a narrow, overgrown channel with shallow edges.

Each have their own charms, but on balance I prefer the T&M. The Bridgewater is a bit of a motorway, and as such you can make good headway. We did 14 miles yesterday in 5 hours. Trying to do that on the Trent and Mersey will result in damaged banks, annoyed moorers, aching shoulders and deep frustration. So instead of yesterday’s 1000 RPM returning over 3mph we’re back to our normal 850 revs. It took us 1¾ hours to cover 3½ miles to Saltersford Tunnel this morning but hey, what’s the rush?

Bridge 213 and blue skies

Today started a bit cloudier than yesterday, but the sun broke through late morning and it’s been another fine, warm afternoon.

At Bridge 211 a BW workboat had come adrift at one end. Someone had tried to retie it to a bit of stick, but I made what I hope is a better job with a 4 foot long tree branch from it’s hold. There was no sign of the steel stake that would have been originally used.

Good deed for the day… so long as it stays put!

We arrived at Saltersford Tunnel with 20 minutes to spare before the half past twelve “window”, time for a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea before once more delving under a hill following the narrow ribbon of water. We followed two other boats through, with a day boat out of Acton Bridge acting as sweeper.

Waiting for 12:30
Notice something different? Yes, the chimney’s been replaced by the summer cap. Still optimistic, then!

In Saltersford Tunnel
The white deposits are lime leaching out of the mortar.

This one is only 424 yards long but has an awkward “S” bend in the middle, making it impossible to see right through. Barnton Tunnel is 150 yards longer but the surveyor got it right and you can see daylight at the other end. It’s just tricky to get into from either end, being set at an angle to the line of the canal.

Barnton Tunnel just coming into view on the left.

Back in the sunshine across Barnton Basin

Another mile saw us arrive at Anderton, where we moored just past the lift entrance. Another good day, with the forecasted thundery showers not materialising. More of the same tomorrow, but a mixed cruise as far as scenery is concerned. OK at the start through Marbury Wood, but then there’s the industry around Northwich.

Just saw the news report of the stunt man who jumped 2400 feet out of a helicopter without a parachute, landing safely on a pile of cardboard boxes. It’s a good job it was Henley-on-Thames; in Manchester the local homeless would have moved in before he landed…

Sleeping rough in Manchester

Locks 0, miles 5½

Might I tentatively suggest….

….that summer’s here? Or is that tempting fate?
T shirt and shorts weather from 07:00 today gives me a degree of optimism.

Looking down the Bridgewater early this morning.

Purple, lilac and red poppies in Little Bollington on the roadside verge.

E-on are replacing power lines on the high voltage pylons crossing east to west. There’s a massive effort required just to meet Health and Safety requirements, even before work can commence.

Scaffold gantries support a safety net over the canal.
Seyella sits in splendid isolation on the Olde No 3 moorings.
I don’t think we’ve ever been alone on these moorings before. There’s usually some squatters here, but maybe the MSCC has been having a purge…

Tescoman arrived about half past nine, but it was gone half ten before we got everything away and were ready to move. I reckon we’re an inch or so deeper in the water now.

At Agden Bridge there’s one of those iconic Bridgewater cranes, poised to drop stop planks into slots across the bridge ‘ole in the event of a breach.

Bridgewater stop plank crane.
With nearly 50 miles of waterway without a lock, a major breach would be catastrophic for the navigation and anything below! Indeed, a failure at the Bolling Aqueduct we crossed yesterday occurred in 1971 and closed the canal for 2 years. The cranes and planks are regularly sited along the canal to isolate any leaking sections.

There’s a string of boatyards along the canal heading towards Lymm, Bridgewater Boats seem to be doing well with several boats in various stages of completion.

Bridgewater Boats

Old canalside warehouse near Hesford
Lymm was busy as usual, and we went straight through not needing to stop after our delivery this morning.

Mags having a steer out of Lymm

Good sized family outside Lymm

There’s a pleasant rural intermission for a couple of miles before the built up area on the edge of Warrington is reached. Grappenhall and Stockton Heath are wedged in between the Bridgewater and Manchester Ship Canals.

We’re pleased to see that Thorn Marine is still open for business. They’re under threat of closure as Peel Holdings want the leased land back for development. The current financial situation is giving them a bit of breathing space.

Thorn Marine at London Road Bridge
They occupy original canal buildings dating back to the construction of the canal. There were quite a few wharf facilities here, as this was the terminus of this section of the canal for some time while negotiations with the owners of Walton Hall took place. They were reluctant to have the canal cut across the estate, but agreement was reached and the canal completed to Runcorn in 1776, 15 years after the main line from Worsley to Manchester.

Past Walton Hall, the canal runs through a wooded cutting, dappled with sunshine on a day like today, dripping with rain on our usual trips!

Walton Cutting

It was a delight to do the trip from Manchester in such good weather. It seems that we normally do it in the rain.

Out of the cutting and it’s just over a mile to the village of Moore, where we often stop for the night. But today we pushed on to get back onto the Trent and Mersey.

The tower at Daresbury Laboratories is a prominent landmark as you head towards Preston Brook.

Daresbury Labs and the Synchrotron Research Tower
The tower housed a synchrotron, a particle beam accelerator, and if you’ve time on your hands you can find out more here….

Daresbury Labs is a research facility, supporting industry and universities with specialised skills and equipment. It’s sited on the Daresbury Science and Technology Campus which also houses companies at the cutting edge of technology in the UK.

We pulled in at Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook, I needed to get some bits for the stove. Now that (hopefully) we’ll not be needing it for a bit, I’ve a chance to replace the fire bricks and the door glass, both of which are getting past their sell-by dates. Another dent in the wallet.

Then it was through Preston Brook Tunnel and back onto BW waters. It seemed such a shame to swap warm sunshine for the stygian gloom under the hill, but where the canal goes, we go.

Preston Brook Tunnel
We had a quick run through, 12 minutes for the 1239 yards, then had to negotiate the very deep Dutton Stop Lock.

Hmmm, maybe not that deep then.
In fact it’s only around 4 inches up, but it’s there to protect the Trent and Mersey if there’s a problem with water levels on the Bridgewater. Actually it’s a bit of a nuisance if there’s a queue of boats wanting to head north through the tunnel.

Dutton Stop Lock.
It’s also an odd size, too wide for one boat; too narrow for two. Built for Mersey flats and Leeds and Liverpool short boats, I guess.

We pulled in a little further on, alongside Long Acre Wood. I had to do a bit of gardening at the fore and aft, the wet weather has certainly encouraged the stinging nettles! Then Meg and I had a walk around the woods, Meg looking for squirrels to terrorise. She needed a good run around after being stuck on the boat for most of the day. Moving on to Anderton tomorrow, all being well.

Locks 1,  miles 14½