No fireworks for us…

After a bit of shopping up in the town first thing yesterday, we left Northwich under grey skies and in a freshening breeze. A stop at the wharf next to Town Bridge got the water tank topped up and the rubbish and recycling disposed of, then we were off, heading downstream towards the boat lift.


We’d hoped to be able to moor just upstream of the lift so we could watch the firework display taking place last evening, but it was not to be…

No room for us!


Should have got there earlier… No wonder we were the only boat in Northwich! The pontoon moorings a little further along were out of bounds for the night.

Setting up the pyrotechnics


Plan B was to head on and moor on Barnton Cut, so we carried on past the lift, under Winnington Swing Bridge…


…and past the Brunner-Mond Winnington Salt Works. Only it’s not there any more. They’d started the demolition when we were down here in May, and now there’s very little left.

Before…


…and after.


The skeletal remains of the last surviving structures break the horizon
 
There’s a vast new housing development under construction on the site.

We dropped onto our favourite spot along here, a bit of piling just long enough for one boat.

Today we’ve stayed put, and it’s been beautiful. Sunny skies all day, and with us facing north-west we’ve had sunshine through the windows from 10 o’clock onwards. And that’s GMT… The solar panels have been topping up the batteries nicely.

Hi Carol, yes it's lovely down here when it's quiet. Another week and we'll be back up on the cut, though, heading for our usual winter Llangollen cruise. Timing's a bit tricky this year, though...

Locks 0, miles 2¾