Bright, breezy and bl**dy cold!

It was the wind that did it. Coming down from the north, cutting straight across the canal. And there’s not a lot to stop it on this section, as it passes through mainly flat pasture land.
It was about half-ten when we got away this morning, the frost had just started to melt in the watery sunshine. Church Lift Bridge was just a couple of minutes up the cut…

…followed by Wrenbury Lift Bridge.


The ABC hire fleet is all home, making it a little congested above the road bridge…

Fine open country, but that wind was whipping straight across!

With the two lift bridges done we were looking forward to four locks before we arrived at the bottom of Grindley Brook Locks. Marbury Lock has a series of “pissers”, jets of water through the lock wall draining cavities behind the brickwork.

A very good reason to keep side hatches closed when negotiating locks!




On the offside there’s a metal fence, an unusual addition on the lockside. Probably because of the proximity of the lock cottage. The horizontal bars are decorative though, with a barley-twist along the length.






It’s about 40 minutes from here to the next lock, Quoisley. But it took us quite a bit longer…

Don’t look a gift horse log in the mouth!




After loading up we moved on a bit, pulling in on a wide bit of towpath where the chippings from cutting them won’t be a nuisance. They were reduced in length, split, then stacked back on the roof. Being as we’d stopped anyway we decided to have a bite of lunch before moving on again.

Shade at Povey’s Lock, bright sunshine across the fields

Meg is back in her favourite spot


She seems to be improving day by day now. She was even eyeing up a ball this morning, but it’s a little early for chasing about.

There was another pile of logs a bit further on which I took advantage of, snaffling bits that didn’t need the attention of the chainsaw this time.

Approaching the bottom of Grindley Brook Locks where we pulled in for the night.

Up Grindley Brook tomorrow, then relax with no more locks for a bit. Plenty of lift bridges, though…

Locks 4, miles 5½