Moving on under grey skies.

On Saturday Richard and Ruth arrived on Mountbatten and Jellico, and turned around in the winding hole just up from us. It’s not easy doing a three point turn with two 70 foot narrowboats. First they breasted the boats up then shuffled the pair back and forth until they were round, before singling up again to head for the Whitchurch Arm.

Coming around…


…almost there…


…and heading back again singled up


We stayed here for the weekend, moving on yesterday. The weather has changed as predicted, gone are the frosty nights and clear, cold days. Now we’ve got grey skies and occasional drizzle. it’s a lot warmer, though.

The first obstacles to negotiate were the two Hassells Lift Bridges, No1 just around the corner and No2 a few hundred yards further on.

Approaching No1…


…and passing No2


There are fine moorings between bridges 37 and 38.

Nice and open, and there’re picnic tables and barbecue stands just around the corner.

We caught up with a single-hander at Tilstock Park, he was just leaving from the lift bridge as we arrived. He left us behind, then we gained again when he had to wait for the contractors working on Bridge 44.


They’re using a raft to make some brickwork repairs under the arch.

We kept up with the solo boater from here, and as we approached Morris Lift Bridge I hopped off and jogged up the towpath, telling him I’d get the bridge open for him.

Mags just coming past the other boat, not exactly as planned, but still…

See the rainbow? The sun had come out to the south, but it was still drizzly where we were. It was the first of several, and they only got better.



We moored just past the Prees Branch Junction, and the sun came out for a little while at least.



This morning we moved on a bit further, along the long straight across the mosses, and passing into Wales for a little while.

A straight mile of raised embankment carries the canal across Whixall Moss

One of the few footpaths over the moss.




We stopped at Bettisfield Bridge for water and rubbish disposal, then pushed on for another three-quarters of a mile to moor on Hampton Bank, (back in England again) with fine views to the north…

…and south.

Must polish that tiller bar…

I got a load of wood chopped this afternoon, all being well we might be picking up some more logs tomorrow as we to Ellesmere.

Locks 0, miles 8