A calendar cock-up and a lonely river.

Today was a little cooler than yesterday, with hazy sunshine rather than the clear skies we’d enjoyed. And it took a while longer to warm up after a significant frost. I actually put long trousers on to take Meg for a walk, but switched back to shorts to cruise.

I’d left a message on the Saltersford lockie’s phone before we left, to let him know we were coming but hadn’t heard back by the time we got there.

Saltersford Lock


There was no-one around and the office was locked up so I rang CRT’s Northwich office only to find that we’re now on winter hours and lock passages need to booked 24 hours in advance! I understood that this didn’t start until next weekend. Anyway, the lass in the office rang the supervisor and we had a chap opening the lock gates about 90 minutes later. No big deal, we’d plenty of time today.

Dropping down in Saltersford’s larger lock chamber.

At both Saltersford and Dutton the smaller of the two locks are not currently in use so we use the “ship” locks, 213 x 37 feet, and in the case of Saltersford, 7’6” deep. That’s 1.6 million litres of water sent off downriver just for us.

Below Saltersford there’s about an hour’s cruise to Dutton, along the wide. deep navigation passing a caravan site on the left, followed by Acton Bridge.


The bridge, constructed in 1933, is a similar design to those in Northwich, but pivoting on an island in the river. The backwater, on the south side, is occupied by moorings for the Acton Bridge Boat Club.


The lockie was waiting for us at Dutton Lock, with the lock filled and one gate open, so we were in and down like a dose of salts. Maybe the donation of a couple of home-made mince pies helped…

The wreck of MV Chica still hangs together tenaciously…

Leaving Dutton Lock


Half a mile below the lock the navigation passes under Dutton Railway Viaduct, carrying the West Coast Main Line 60 feet above the water.

Opened in 1836 the permanent way is supported a twenty-arch span, the elegantly tapered columns made of red sandstone. 

The channel runs through farmland and woods, with only a hint of civilisation at Pickering’s Wharf, the site of a dismantled swing bridge. The long, sweeping bends indicate that this a purely artificial channel, although it follows the flat valley floor of the original river.



We pulled in on the field moorings at Devil’s Garden, no-one else here at this summer-popular, quiet spot.
In fact we’ve not seen another moving boat all day.

Tomorrow we’ll head down to Frodsham. A walk up into the village will replenish the fresh fruit and veg stocks.

Locks 2, miles 6¼