Friday, 12 September 2014

Nice & easy does it.

 
Monday 8th.September.
Another lovely sunny day, aren't we blessed? 
 As we are travelling through some of the less salubrious parts of Manchester later this week we have to time our arrival at secure moorings. Today is a short day, just a 3 hour cruise through the open Cheshire countryside, south of Warrington, passing Lymm, which looks nice, & stopping at a small hamlet called Dunham Massey.

 
It boasts some pretty cottages, the School, a farm shop (dull) a village shop (closed pm) a church & pub. There is a stately home of the same name nearby in the hands of the NT.
 Pete does a bit of boat maintenance & annoys a few fish while I catch up on this, some washing & a magazine!
 


Tuesday, 9 September 2014

Underground, overground.

 
 
Sunday 7th.September.
 
Awaken to a sunny but chilly morning with mist rising from the river, definitely a feel of Autumn in the air.
 

 
 
By 10am we've been lifted back up to the T&M, snaking through 3 tunnels, the longest at Preston Brook, being just under the mile. They're far from straight & concentrating on keeping away from the walls with only a tunnel light on the boat & the constant steady drone of the engine is strangely hypnotic!  No pix, unsurprisingly!
We are now on the  Bridgewater Canal.
As we need to do some grocery shopping we stop at Stocton Heath. This small town, onetime home of George Formby, seems to have about a dozen decent restaurants along its main street, it's even sunny enough for some hardy souls to be dining al fresco!
 
A short walk takes us down to one of the many swing-bridges over the Manchester Ship Canal, so broad it looks like the sea & certainly not for titchy little narrowboats!  Only a few commercial craft use it these days.
 
For us it's a trolley dash round Sainsburys. Walking back we spot an Italian takeaway with a varied menu and as it's been a long day & I really can't be bothered to change, get togged up & go out again, we opt for pizza & pasta delivered to the boat!  {Very tasty it was too!}
 


Middlewich Mayhem.

 
Saturday 6thSeptember
Arriving at9:25 at Middlewich, where we say farewell to the SUC & rejoin our old friend the Trent & Mersey, we were greeted with scenes of boating chaos! A busy place at the best of times, the situation was not helped by the yard opposite the junction hosting a boat show! 
 
Still, we help each other out & eventually round the corner & continue to descend through 3 locks, the last being a broad lock, the first of many, many more to come.
 

Spotting a pretty mooring at Bramble Cuttings we stop for lunch & Kellydog has a paddle.
 


Having contacted Anderton boat lift, one of the 7 Wonders of the Waterway system, it seem we can descend the lift at 5, moor overnight on the River Weaver & ascend first thing the next morning. This is not part of our route but it really HAS to be done!
 


 
All I can say is.... "BIG WOW! "


In search of a Cheshire cat.

 
Friday 5th.September.
 

Slightly overcast as we continue along the SUC passing the 'Secret Bunker', a relic of the cold war & now a rather spooky tourist attraction.
 
At Nantwich junction we take on some Cheshire water & I spot some canalside sculptures, the most impressive being a boat horse made from reclaimed lock gates.
 
At Hurleston Jct. we pass the turning for the Llangollen canal, never will get to cross that aqueduct.
 
 
Just after 3 we moor up for the night at Minshull Wharf, by Bridge 14, no sign of the wharf except this attractive cottage.
 

 


Sunday, 7 September 2014

A lorra, lorra locks!

 
Thursday 4th.September.
 
 We leave Market Drayton in sunshine & head towards the 5 locks at Adderley. These are shortly followed by the flight of 15 at Audlem. On the way down to the village we cross about 6 other boats so that makes the going easier.


 
 
Audlem is an attractive boat stop with a couple of canalside pubs & a useful canal shop that also sells wicked local ice-cream!
 



 
A short cruise finds us at the visitor moorings at Coole Pilates where we are treated to a lovely sunset.
 
 
 
 


Market Drayton lives up to its name.

Wednesday 3rd.Sept.
Market Drayton lives up to its name.
 
 
Bit grey & misty this morning as we leave The Anchor behind.
 
The canal passes alternately through cuttings & embankments as was Thomas Telford's way. A few interesting old canal wharves & warehouses on the way along then Woodseaves Cutting a couple of miles through a gloomy damp passage hewn from the sandstone.
 
Once back into the daylight & even a little sunshine we arrive at Tyrley (pronounced Turley) locks, bordered by some very attractive cottages & also the place where we can fill the water & empty the loo & bins!
The 5 locks come in quick succession & we're lucky to cross 3 other craft which makes for less work.
We arrive in Market Drayton about 2pm, find a mooring  on the aquaduct.
 


Next task is to head off to the shops for some groceries.
It's an attractive little town, apparently home of gingerbread, with a Buttercross & some nice half timbered buildings.
 

 Best of all it's market day so we have a good mooch around & I buy a new purple kettle, just because I can!  Quick coffee & a snack & then ASDA  beckons.   On the walk back to the boat we spot a Chinese, so later get them to deliver a takeaway!
 


Thursday, 4 September 2014

No time to Brood.




 
Tuesday 2nd.Sept.
No time to Brood.
 Nice to wake up to a lovely sunny morning!  Have spotted an 'unspiolt boatmans' pub' in the route planner, so we cruise onwards with hopes of a nice meal out tonight.  Only one lock today, sounds good to me!

Past Brewood, (pronounced Brood) Gnosall, (pronounced Nosull) & Norbury Junction to arrive, still in sunshine, at 1:30.




 

 

However that's the end of the good news, The Anchor does NOT do food & charged me £5:20 for one & half pints :( 

Pete rustles up yet another meal which is probably better anyway!
Have  a TV signal but no phone or internet.