Visitors at Addlington, then on past Macclesfield.

On Wednesday we moved down from Hawk Green, past High Lane and Poynton, and finished up opposite Lyme View Marina.

The leaves are starting to turn now…


Victoria Pit moorings at Poynton


The end of a cold, damp trip at Addlington.

It rained all morning and we wouldn’t normally have moved, but we were having visitors yesterday and there’s parking nearby, and more importantly the towpath along here is sealed asphalt so is clean. After the rain there’s some quite large puddles elsewhere.

Val and John, with the dog Harry came yesterday lunchtime, and we had a great afternoon. Val had made Mags an early birthday cake…

They left too late for us to move, so we sneaked an extra night on the 24 hour moorings opposite the marina. It wasn’t busy anyway, only one other boat stayed overnight.

This morning the weather had improved considerably, very little wind and long spells of warm sunshine.

Past the good moorings at Whitley Green

On the offside there are very well presented moorings for members of the North Cheshire Cruising Club.


Approaching Bollington, the White Nancy looks like a pimple on the end of Kerridge Hill…
The structure was built in 1817 to commemorate Wellington’s victory at Waterloo and is hollow, but the doorway has been bricked up. It’s been repainted, now sporting a crown for the Jubilee on one side…


…and the Olympic rings on the other, following Team GB’s success at at the 2012 games.
(Pictures from April 2013)

Clarence Mill, Bollington


Historic boats Spey and Gifford tied up on the aqueduct

We’d decided to stop at Bollington Wharf for solid fuel and diesel, but the dredgers beat us to it…


…but it was OK because James was trading from Brian and Ann-Marie's Alton
Bollington Wharf has recently been taken over by Amy and James, of NB Willow and Brian and Ann-Marie. Amy and James wrote about their refitting of the Severn and Canal Carrying Company boat on their blog here.

We had a bit of a wait while James dealt with Storm, then picked up our fuel before toddling on.

MB Willow, 72 feet long and 82 years old.

Still a very fine day…


The Waterways depot just past Hovis Mill in Macclesfield
The resited water tap is just next to the sign on the bank.

We had a bit of a wait while another dredging team moved their gear out of the way for us.
They were really struggling for working space alongside the moored boats between Bridges 40 and 41.

We were aiming to more near the retail park again, but the weather started to look a bit dodgy, although it held off enough to let us get moored up.
  
After just a brief sprinkle it cleared again and the rest of the afternoon stayed dry enough for me to get a coat of primer on the new top box I’ve constructed. But we had some heavy, thundery showers later on. I think we’ll probably stay put here for the weekend.

Locks 0, miles 8

Heading Back

Our short stay at Bugsworth Basin ended this morning. I had my morning run, breakfasted then took Meg out for a walk around the old wharfs before we reversed past the other boats moored on the Lower Basin. Turning around just outside the services dropped us neatly onto the water point.

Tesco delivered yesterday during a dryish spell.

I wouldn’t have wanted to try this yesterday, it was blowing a hooley and frequently lashing with rain and hail. We weren’t the only crew to take advantage of this lull in the weather; several others left at around the same time.

We decided on a longish day, heading back to Marple then back onto then Macc. to head towards Kidsgrove again. I know, we’re supposed to be going to Manchester, and from here it’s only a few days to Castlefield. But we decided a few days ago to go the long way around, back to the Trent and Mersey, down the Cheshire Locks and onto the Bridgewater at Preston Brook. From there we’ll head into Manchester from the south. The reasoning was that it’s tough going for Mags going the quick way, 16 locks at Marple, 18 down the Ashton then a further 9 broad locks from Ducie Street to Castlefield. Going the roundabout route doesn’t reduce the number of locks but does space them out more, allowing us to have shorter days. And we do have the time, anyway. The event isn’t until the 15th of October.
Another reason is the condition of the locks. The Cheshire flight are well maintained and often duplicated so we’re unlikely to be held up by an emergency stoppage. But the same can’t be said of the Marple and Ashton locks. In fact -
“From Date:
11th September 2017 at 09:00
To Date:
until further notice
Type:
Navigation Closure
Reason:
Structure failure
Notice updates:
11/09/2017 @ 16:46
Over the weekend subsidence has become evident at Lock 15, Marple and we have had to close the canal here while this is investigated.  Following inspections on site today we are now concerned that there has been some movement to the towpath side lock wall as well.
Our engineering team will be undertaking a thorough examination of the lock over the next few days so that we can be clear about the true extent of the problem and what repairs are now needed. 
Given the uncertainty about the full extent of the problem we cannot estimate a reopening date for the lock at the moment, when we know more we will be able to issue a further update.
We’re sorry if this problem has caused you delays but want to assure you that we are giving this highest priority.
Description:
We have had to close the lock flight at Marple until further notice due to subsidence at lock 15 . Our engineers will be carrying out inspections later today.
We understand that this closure may disrupt your schedule. We are taking every step to look into this problem as soon as possible and we will keep you updated of our progress.”
Not looking good, eh. We’ve seen several hire boats today heading for Bugsworth, having had to abort a Cheshire Ring cruise.

Having topped up the water tank and dropped off the rubbish and recycling, we were on the move again by half-nine. We had to be off quite early because Meg had an appointment to see the doggy-doctor at New Mills at 11:15. Nothing wrong; just her annual boosters, a check up and a new prescription for her arthritis medication.

If I moored here I‘d have been out with the shears and strimmer!

We arrived at New Mills with plenty of time to spare, mooring up just before the main road bridge. The vet is only 5 minutes from here.


On the move again after a successful consultation, we were slowly gaining ground on a hire boat ahead. We just missed them at Higgins Clough Swing Bridge, seeing them toddling off around the corner as we turned up.
But we caught up at Wood End and followed them through. I shouted across that we’d do the next one, Turf Lea, forgetting that, unlike the electrically operated Wood End, Turf Lea requires 80 turns of the windlass to lift! Anyway, they followed Mags through, and then we waited for another boat coming the other way.

Moored near Bridge 21 is a boat called Del Boy, with an unusual take on a cratch cover.


Quite clever really. Not quite true to Del and Rodney’s iconic 3 wheeler, this is the front end of a Reliant Rialto rather than a Reliant Regal Supervan III. But 10/10 for effort.

We turned left at Marple Junction, back onto the Macclesfield Canal. The right turn down the locks is out of the question for the time being anyway.



Unusually both the service wharf and the moorings opposite had space!
Typically we didn’t need either today.

A little further on we passed a familiar boat NB Gloriana, I gave a shout and Nick came out for a chat. It’s a while since we seen each other.
Good to see you, mate. Keep well.

Past Goyt Mill


We pulled in between Bridges 7 and 8, pretty much where we stopped on the way north.

Everything is tied down now, in preparation for what promises to be a wild night…

Hey, Doug, James. Good to hear from you. If you've read this far you'll know that your kind offer of assistance down the Ashton and Rochdale locks isn't necessary, but much appreciated nevertheless. We will be in south Manchester in the middle of next month, and may well head up to Castlefield from there. If you're free when we get there it would be great to see you.

Locks 0, miles 10¼

End of the line.

Yesterday we moved on from near Marple, through three of the four moveable bridges at this end of the canal, mooring up past New Mills.

Fine views across to the east towards Derbyshire.

Turf Lea Lift Bridge


Passing Disley on the right, the view opens up again, looking over towards Kinder Scout and the southern end of the Dark Peak.
That was one of my old stamping grounds when I lived near Leicester. The Peak District is comprised of two distinct geographies, the White Peak to the south, consisting of picturesque limestone dales and splashing streams around Buxton, and the Dark Peak, brooding peat-bog topped moorlands north of Edale. Caving in the White Peak and walking in the Dark took up most weekends.

We’d managed to get through the three bridges in the dry, although the clouds were building. Mags had gone back inside when the rain finally started as we came through the woods before New Mills.


New Mills, Bridge 28 and the Swizzels Matlows factory.

By the time we’d left the town the rain had eased, then the sun came out just before we tied up.


With more sun than showers the afternoon was quite pleasant, and it stayed clear overnight. I had a dry run first thing, a quick breakfast and Meg had a short walk before we set off towards Bugsworth this morning.


We were off early despite the drizzle that had started to fall because we wanted to be moored in the basin by half-ten. Something important to watch on the box…

Carrs Swing Bridge was passed with no trouble, then we cruised slowly past Furness Vale Marina…

…and the well-respected Andy Russel’s paint shed.

It’s a bit overgrown along here!


It was just past here that we met the first of half a dozen boats, presumably leaving the basin. A bit of a surprise, it wasn’t yet 10:00, but at least we could be reasonably sure that there would be space for us.

The junction at the end of the Peak Forest, a short arm to the right leads to Whaley Bridge…
…and another to the left goes to Bugsworth Basin.

Arriving at the basin and there’s room on the Lower Basin, alongside the access road.


That’ll do for us, Mr. Tesco is delivering here to us tomorrow.

We were tied up with the aerial up in plenty of time to watch coverage of the Great North Run. This is the second year I’ve missed, last year due to injury, this because I didn’t enter, not being sure whether I’d recovered or not. As it turns out I’m fit enough, but the Manchester Half Marathon in October will confirm that. Well done, Sir Mo, for your fourth consecutive win here. Now he’s turned his back on the track to concentrate on road running we’ll see a lot more of him at these sort of events.

Locks 0, miles 6

Up to Marple and a change of canal.

Just up from where we’d moored for Wednesday night was where the dredgers were dumping the spoil from their activities.

The nutrient-rich silt is unloaded from the barges transferred to a tipper truck then moved out onto the adjacent field to be spread by bulldozer. Not all spoil can be disposed of in this way, some sections of canal bed have been polluted by industrial processes, thankfully now illegal.

We had a couple of showers as we headed north, but nothing of any great consequence.

Passing Lyme View Marina.


The Braidbar boats were out in force at Poynton, ready for the open weekend. Sheila off Sanity Again gave us a wave, but we were unable to stop, even for water as planned.

Bruce and Sheila’s 2nd Braidbar, Sanity Again.

It’s pleasantly wooded in sections along here, but the gloomy weather didn’t do it justice.

High Lane is a handy spot for shopping, with moorings either side of the main road bridge, Bridge 11.

The North Cheshire Cruising Club maintains private moorings on the dog-legged High Lane Arm, just to the south of the village.
The Arm was built at the same time as the canal as a wharf for transhipping goods and coal. Although now it’s a dogleg to the north after the entrance channel, it used to form a T, with the south branch linking up to tramways bringing coal from Middlewood and Norbury pits. This section was filled in around 1914. The remainder was taken over by the club in 1943.

Buxton Road, carried over the canal in the centre of the village by Bridge 11, must already have been a broad road when the canal was built. The bridge is wide, almost forming a short tunnel, and there’s no sign of it being extended so I guess it was originally built this way.
We pulled in not much further on, opposite what used to a deer park, the fields now occupied by cattle and horses.

Rain in the afternoon and overnight finally eased by about half-nine this morning, so we got ready to move off. Having failed to get water at Macclesfield (dredgers) and Poynton (queues) our first priority was to fill the tank at Marple.

The day started bright, but we had some showers blowing in on the breeze.

Coming into Marple the massive Goyt Mill stands alongside the canal. 

Built in 1905 for cotton production, the machinery was driven by steam engine, fired by coal from local collieries. The building is now occupied by several businesses…

…and the roof makes a handy location for the mobile phone company masts.

There was a boat on the water point when we arrived, so we pulled up alongside the community boat on the wharf to wait. Ten minutes later we were filling ourselves.

We didn’t get totally full, another boat arrived for water and mooring opportunities are limited, with a dredger on one side and the charity boat on the other.


The Macclesfield Canal ends in a narrow section that used to be a stop lock, then joins the Peak Forest Canal just above the 16 Marple Locks.

The top of Marple Locks.


We turned right, away from the locks, and tried to moor on the right side just around the corner. I should have known better, we’ve tried to moor here before and failed because of the condition of the bank. We finally finished up about a half-mile from the junction, on a section of piling with just enough water to float us.

Now, while cruising along the Macc, I’ve been pondering the design of the bridges, and have decided that it’s not purely aesthetic.

One of the big problems on canals with conventionally arched bridges is damage from boat collisions, typically under the arch on the opposite side to the towpath. However, with this design, the arch bulges away from the navigation at the point where the cabin top would strike. Although they’ve been up for nearly 190 years, I don’t think I’ve seen any that have needed repairing. Another bonus is that on the towpath side the path is widest where the towing horse would have been widest!
Thomas Telford was the surveyor and supervising engineer for the canal construction, but the Resident Engineer was the respected and experienced William Crossley. I wonder if they were to his design?

Heading towards Bugsworth tomorrow, but we may stop at New Mills. It depends on the weather.

Locks 0, miles 8