Swapping canals…

It was a bit grim first thing this morning, damp and drizzly. I got wet through on my run, but by 10:00 it had started to dry up and the day steadily brightened.

It was about 35 minutes to Preston Brook Tunnel, and we arrived at ten to eleven, just time to get
through the shallow stop lock and follow two other boats through the hill.

Foraging for winter stores on the towpath


Past Longacre Wood.


Dutton Stop Lock, six inches deep, just before the tunnel.

Two other boats waiting for the 11:00 passage window.
Like Saltersford this tunnel has timed passages to avoid confusion. But it’s a  bit longer, so you only have 10 minutes to get in there and 20 minutes to make the trip through.

At this end you leave the Trent and Mersey Canal…

…and emerge onto the Bridgewater Canal.
CRT has no jurisdiction here, the operating authority is Peel Holdings, who also manage the Manchester Ship Canal. But a reciprocal agreement between the two allows boats to use the adjoining canals for a restricted period without charge.

Claymore’s hire base on the right and the M56 crossing ahead.

Just beyond the motorway we swung left onto the Runcorn Arm to pick up water from outside Preston Brook Marina.

Under the bridge a young pigeon was looking lonely and confused. I hope it has fledged or else it’ll be easy prey for the local cats.


With the tank filled we returned to the main line, heading past the Daresbury Laboratories with the distinctive tower on the campus.

Across to the west, on the other side of the River Mersey, Fiddlers Ferry Power Station sends a plume of steam into the air.


We pulled in a few hundred yards past Moore. There are rings right opposite the Post Office but it’s a bit noisy there, alongside the road. I walked back to collect the mail, only to find that Tuesday is half-day! Never mind, we’d planned to stay overnight anyway.

It looks a bit wild for tomorrow, we’ll have to see what it’s like before we decide what to do.

Hi Richard. We'll be stopping on Saturday and probably Sunday nights near Watch House Cruising Club's HQ, between Sale and Stretford. From there it's a short walk and tram ride to the start line.



Locks 1, miles 6