Home alone: Day 1

Adrian is spending a few days down south seeing various family and friends; he left about 7 this morning to get on the road.  I have a few boat jobs to do.  This morning, I untied, went along to the winding hole, and came back to exactly the same spot.  It all took about 40 minutes, which also helped put some juice back in the batteries.

After lunch, I walked down to Nantwich Station, as I was seeing someone in Whitchurch for a podcast thing.  There’s a little two-coach train that shuttles back and forth between Crewe and Shrewsbury.

When I was dropped back at the station I had a bit of time before the train was due so went for a look at the old Joyce clock makers building.  It’s now the home of Trevanion Auctioneers.

It was a much nicer train on the way back, and as it didn’t stop at Wrenbury only took 9 minutes.

1 mile, 0 locks.

October Braidbar visit

On Saturday, we moved the car close to the Nantwich embankment so it was ready for today’s trip to Braidbar.  We left about 8.15, and it was about an hour and a quarter’s drive.  There’s a full report on what’s been going on with the build of Kingley Vale on the NBKV blog.

On the way back we stopped at Morrison’s for a top up shop while we had the car with us.  Then we still needed a lot of steps for the day, so we walked along the canal and down to the railway level crossing — and as I still needed more I headed off the other way and explored the footpath across the fields from Bridge 96.

Chester again: Day 13

Adrian’s birthday today, so there were presents and a limited number of cards; now we’re living on board, there’s nowhere to send them to!  It was also very foggy, and hadn’t cleared all day.

We didn’t want to get to Nantwich too early in case people hadn’t left yet, so we set off around 10 into the murk.

In fact there were loads of spaces on the moorings, so we picked a convenient one just over the aqueduct.  We’d booked lunch out, so walked into town, to Nine Mill Street.

The Sunday roasts were excellent, and as I’d put it note on the booking, a little extra turned up at the end.

We walked back through the park and the residential area were explored the other day.

2 miles, 0 locks.  (55 miles, 26 locks)

Chester again: Day 12

Very grey and overcast to start the day.  We set off about 8.45, hoping no-one else would be heading to the water point yet — and indeed no-one appeared to be heading anywhere.  While the tank filled, we got the washing machine going, and I walked down to the chandlery and got a big sack of logs.  When we were done, we plodded along the familiar couple of miles to Hurleston Junction, turned around, and tied up on the moorings just to the south.  The rings are poorly spaced and there’s a Shroppie shelf, but it’s a nice spot.

This afternoon we went for a walk and bumped into the Debdale owners who bought our share 15 years ago.  As they were stationary, we were able to have a chat for the first time.  The sun came out during the afternoon and it’s been pleasantly warm.

2 miles, 0 locks.  (53 miles, 26 locks)

Chester again: Day 11

We were re-tracing our steps from a couple of days ago today, leaving our lovely moorings at Coole Pilate and heading back into Nantwich.  The two locks at Hack Green both needed a top up, but were polished off pretty quickly and we were back on the embankment overlooking the rooftops by mid morning.  Once moored up, I got the bucket out and washed the roof of the boat, a job that badly needed doing.

After lunch we had a walk through part of Nantwich we’ve not been to before, mostly residential, with one or two much older houses.  This turns out to be the only photo I have taken all day.

This afternoon I have made another podcast for release in a fortnight’s time.  One came out today, which even though I do say so myself, I think is quite fascinating.  It looks at the way water is brought down the Llangollen Canal to Hurleston Reservoir, and then becomes drinking water for the people of Crewe and Nantwich.  Have a listen here.

3 miles, 2 locks.  (51 miles, 26 locks)

Chester again: Day 10

We’ve moored up three times today, and ended up exactly where we started.  And I do mean exactly, because we’re on the same rings, just facing the other way.  We were in no rush this morning, and eventually set off bound for Audlem.  We then turned around at the winding hole before the locks and moored in the first available space, before taking a walk up into the village where we mooched around the shops and bought a couple of things.

We set off again on our return, and went just the short distance to the piling through Bridge 80.  We had lunch, then walked over the bridge to the back entrance to OverWater Marina.  We were going there to have a chat with Andy Russell, who’ll be doing our sign writing.  We found him outside the paint shed, where he’s repainting a couple of boats for BCBM, and had a chat about colours and style, shading and scrolls.  To get back, we walked the other way round the marina, which included going over the bridge over the entrance.

The mobile signal is much better at Coole Pilate, and Adrian has an online meeting this evening, so we set off again for another short hop.  Bridge 82 has obviously had plenty of damage over the years, and the repairs show very clearly.

Lots of the boats on these moorings have changed since this morning, but the space we’d left a few hours earlier was still free so we went back into it.  Moored a little further back were the people who were breasted up against us at the Crick Show in May, so we went to have a chat and find out what they’d been doing since then.

4 miles, 0 locks.  (48 miles, 24 locks)

Chester again: Day 9

Adrian had a hair cut booked in Nantwich at 9.30, so headed off for that — while I followed about half an hour later.  We met up and went to Morrison’s for a top up shop.  It meant we didn’t leave our moorings until around 11.  We headed south out of Nantwich, for once going past the winding hole!  It’s a pleasant but unremarkable journey to the two Hack Green Locks, where a boat was just about to emerge from the bottom one.  There were more boats coming down, so we had people waiting to help us at both.

There were loads of boats moored at the Hack Green moorings that we’d had to ourselves a couple of months ago, but our intention was to carry on a little further to Coole Pilate.  There was plenty of room, and we’ve stopped in a very similar place to last time.  Yesterday I’d made some spiced roasted butternut squash soup, so we had that for lunch, then popped out for a walk to get our steps up.  It’s been really quite sunny this afternoon, and fairly warm with it.

3 miles, 2 locks. (44 miles, 24 locks)

Chester again: Day 8

Another quite long day, by our new standards.  We set off about 8.30, with Adrian walking up to set Wharton’s Lock.

The trees are suddenly looking very autumnal, with the leaves changing colour.

There was a boat coming down Beeston Iron Lock, and it didn’t seem so difficult today to get the lock to level as we rose.  As we went up Beeston Stone Lock, a boat arrived at the top so we could leave the gate open.

At Tilstone Lock, there were two more boats to come down, so we had help.  Both were on a one way hire from Nantwich to Anderson, and were doing Chester as a side trip.  They were planning to be in Chester this evening, back to Barbridge tomorrow, and then Anderson on Thursday evening.  It all sounded very rushed to us!  As we approached Bunbury Staircase Locks, there were lots of Anglo Welsh boats in.

As we went up the lock, I popped into the shop and bought a couple of bags of coal.  We stuck them on the roof until we were near the top of the upper lock, when they could be moved into the well deck.  Yet another boat then arrived to go down.  We stopped at the services at Calverley to catch up with washing and top up the tank, and it didn’t take long given that we’d also filled up yesterday.  A boat passed us there, and there were three more going the other way once we set off again.  After that is pass straight past the junctions at Barbridge and Hurleston, and past the entrance to the basin at Nantwich.

Nantwich was very busy, so we ended up round the corner past the aqueduct.  There have been quite a few boats past during the afternoon.

10 miles, 6 locks.  (41 miles, 22 locks)

Chester again: Day 7

Finally a still day, with no wind at all to speak of.  We got away pretty promptly, at 8.15, and were soon passing the lead shot tower.

The first lock, Hoole Lane, has one ground paddle and one gate paddle for some reason, and the gate paddle makes a big jet of water.

The rest of the locks were randomly mostly empty or completely full, with little rhyme or reason as to why.  When we had done all five out of the city we stopped at the Christleton water point, and did the usual filling and washing routine.  Steve from AmyJo came by while we were there, so it was nice to see him and Smudge the dog.  The next section had a lot of floating islands of pennywort.  We again saw the anti-weed boat, but it’s clearly a losing battle.  One bridge hole was completely filled with it, and a bit clump ended up on the bow.  Rather than push it along, I stopped, reversed a bit, and managed to leave it behind.

A kingfisher whizzed along the side of the boat and settled in a bush — and then stayed there as we went past.  He’s there if you look for him.

The long line of moored boats at Golden Nook took 45 minutes to pass.  There are a dozens more, in various states of repair, on the land.

A diesel pump on the back of a tractor was also in action along the moorings, with boats being filled.  It all takes so long, you rather lose the will to live. Y the end of the line — so the name of the final boat seems strangely appropriate.

We’d got another clump of pennywort on the bow, so once the moorings were passed I again manoeuvred to get it off.  The good thing was the sun was now out, and the views of Beeston Castle and Peckforton Castle were great.

The sun still has some warmth in it, too.

We moored just past The Shady.  Later in the afternoon, a familiar but now very shiny boat came past.  What A Lark has been repainted and looks very smart.  We had a quick chat with Lisa and David, and then I grabbed a windlass and walked up to Wharton’s Lock to lend a hand, and have a few more minutes of conversation.

9 miles, 5 locks.  (31 miles, 16 locks)

Chester again: Day 6

Another pretty windy day, even though the forecast said it should have died down.  It was the Chester Marathon this morning, so after breakfast we walked up to the city and stood near the 1 mile marker.  Soon the timing car came past, followed by the elite runners.

Following were hundreds of other runners, and in amongst them were pace runners holding paddles showing how long it would take you to go at their pace.

We walked round the corner to see the stragglers coming past the town hall and towards the Cathedral.

It was still quite early so we went back to the boat to put the kettle on.  Later we walked back into town and then up to a pub for lunch — where we joined Catherine, Nigel, Grace and Matthew, and my sister and nieces.  The pub, The Piper, had been chosen purely for its location, as my sister was on call and needed to be no more than half an hour from her hospital.  But it provided very good and reasonably priced Sunday lunches.  Grace starts her uni course tomorrow, and the rest of the family were heading home, so it’s been quite a big day.

0 miles, 0 locks.  (22 miles, 11 locks)

Chester again: Day 5

Today was the day Storm Amy was coming through, and it was pretty windy and rainy this morning.  We walked up to see my dad, and managed to get there and back without getting too wet.  After lunch the sun came out, although it’s remained very blustery.

We made a visit to Tesco to stock up for a few days, and bumped into my cousin Catherine and family.  They’re in Chester because Grace is starting uni here today.  She’s doing her own thing this evening, while Catherine, Nigel, and Matthew come here for pizza.

0 miles, 0 locks.  (22 miles, 11 locks)

Chester again: Day 4

There was wind and rain yesterday evening and overnight, but there appeared to be a window of better weather first thing this morning — so we were up and off just after 8.  The first of the five locks down into Chester was about half an hour away.  All of them needed filling.  They have chunky iron ladders on the bottom side, which almost look as though they’re made from railway tracks.

It’s not long since we came this way, so it’s a job to take different photos.

Above Chemistry Lock, the canal is clogged with floating pennywort, with just a boat width left.  Later the little boat with the prongs on the front came down to where we moored, and was scooping huge clumps of it out and dumping it on the offside.

There’s a funny little building above Hoole Lane Lock, and we were trying to work out how many houses it’s been converted into.

With the five locks completed, we carried on to the winding hole by Cow Lane Bridge, and turned around — then moored up in a space nearby.  We’re a boat length or two along from where we were last time.  No sooner had we moored up than the rain began, and it’s also become increasingly blustery.  We walked into town and had lunch at a cafe, then went to the Picture House cinema, as it’s ages since we’ve been.  We saw The Roses, which was moderately entertaining.  Nice comfy seats, upholstered in some sort of towelling!

Tomorrow is meant to be very windy and stormy, but we weren’t planning to go anywhere anyway.

2 miles, 5 locks.  (22 miles, 11 locks)

Chester again: Day 3

Some unforecast rain early this morning, but generally it’s been a bit brighter than yesterday.  With an unambiguous target, we weren’t quick to get going, setting off about 9.30.  On the other side of the canal from the marina is a big farm machinery place, with some amazing-looking equipment for sale.

After Bridge 114 the Golden Nook moorings begin — an interminable line of boats on the offside.  Last time I counted the boats as we went one way, and timed the passage the other, but this time I couldn’t be bothered to do either.  It’s more than half an hour, I know that much.

There’s a huge amount of floating pennywort in the canal, sometimes appearing to stretch right across.  This morning we passed a cutter boat, which I hope was on the way to collect some of it.

We were aiming for Christleton, and the moorings were much less busy than when we were last here at the start of August.  We moored in pretty much the same spot as before.  This afternoon, we’ve been for a circular walk round the village, which seems quite familiar these days.

5 miles, 0 locks.  (20 miles, 6 locks)