Heading downstream

 Even though it was a Bank Holiday weekend, it was fairly quiet at the moorings in Winsford. Well, apart from the bit of boat rage on Sunday evening. The crews of three boats (two on one side and one on the other) came to blows over poor behaviour out on the flash in the afternoon. A spectator called the police but it was decided that it was six of one and a half-dozen of the other and they left without charges being laid. Still, it gave us a bit of entertainment…

Talking of entertainment, the Weaver Way along the river valley is popular with dog-walkers and Amber had plenty of opportunity to have a run around.

Meeting Benji…

…and they’re off!

We pushed across to fill with water then headed off around mid-morning Monday, back down to the Vale Royal moorings.

Cautiously edging out a hundred yards into Winsford Bottom Flash to turn around…

We moved back onto CRT water at Winsford Town Bridge.

There’s a silted and weed covered loop off to the west, running around the back of the site of Meadows Salt Works.

The straight cut the channel follows now passed Meadows on the left and Birkenhead and Uploon’t works on the right. Between Wharton Road Bridge and Newbridge a 1909 OS map shows 17 individual salt works along the line of the river. All gone now apart from Meadowbank.

Newbridge Swing Bridge is actually the site of one of the eleven early locks from when the river was first impounded and made navigable around 1732. Various phases of improvements as trade developed have led to there being only 5 now, including Marsh Lock dropping down onto the Manchester Ship Canal. Originally 40 ton barges were hand hauled or towed behind steam tugs, after the final reconstruction 1000 ton coasters were able to reach Winsford.

Moored for the night at Vale Royal, Amber and another boat dog Milly relaxing in the shade.

Yesterday we took the second sitting, dropping down Vale Royal Lock at half-one. There were several boats heading down so we left the half-ten locking for those wanting to press on.

Waiting for the lock to be readied.

We were dropped down Hunts after the 35 minute cruise under Hartford Bridge and past Jalsea Marine’s eclectic mix of moored boats and pulled in on the bank just below.

We were alone for a start but the small cruiser Trilogy arrived a little later.

After a quiet night and a morning walk up the offside bank of the river we moved on, under the two swing bridges and out of town towards the boat lift. The moorings in the town and at Baron’s Quay, but everyone seemed to be moored instead at the bottom of the lift so our plan to moor there was out of the window.

Ever patient angler giving us a wave as we pass..

Instead, we carried on, under Winnington Bridge and onto Barnton Cut. 

Winnington Salt works has been completely demolished now, and the housing development already started.

But a bit of history still remains, the names of boats that once loaded here, painted on the wharf wall by their crews.

Since the works closed though the local oiks have added their own visiting cards…

Our single-boat-sized slot was occupied so we moved on a little way to find the main moorings on the cut empty. We were joined shortly afterwards by another boat. Then it started to rain…

The locks are manned again tomorrow so we’ll head down Saltersford in the morning, hoping to get moored at Acton Bridge.

Locks 2,  miles 8¾