Floating about: Day 14

Lymm on a Saturday evening turned out to be much noisier than the Creamfields festival!  One of the nearby pubs had live music, but at least it didn’t go on too late.  This morning we were up and away by 8.30.  By the time we got to Grappenhall it had really warmed up and the fleece had to come off.  At Stockton heath, there are some really nice Victorian terraces alongside the canal.

There are much grander houses at Higher Walton.

Walton New Bridge is very distinctive, not least for being made of concrete.

At Moore, there’s a church (which looks as if it might still be a church), but the building next door is now a house.  It’s called the Old School House.  The one next to that appears to be called The Minister’s House.

Before long, the Daresbury Research Lab tower comes into view.

We’d left at 8.30 in the hopes we’d get to Preston Brook Tunnel without too long to wait.  CanalPlan reckoned that Lymm to the northern end would take 3 hours and 15 minutes, but Waterway Routes is more pessimistic, putting it at just under four hours.  We’d allowed 4, because of all the moored boats we’d have to pass.  But as we got closer, it was clear we’d made much better progress.  By the time we were passing the junction with the Runcorn Arm, I was sure we’d be able to go straight into the tunnel.

Entry to the tunnel going south is from half past the hour for ten minutes, and it was just gone half past when we got there — just three hours after setting off.  At the far end, there were a couple of boats waiting, one coming out of the lock, and two more waiting to come through the lock.

All the waiting boats meant we had a swift passage through the lock, which never takes long anyway as the rise is only about 4 inches.  We’d been planning to stop at Dutton, but as we’d made such good progress, and as the water level looked a good few inches lower than it was last week, we decided to carry on to Anderton.

At the permanent towpath-side moorings between bridges 209 and 208, there was a boat coming the other way.  As there’s very little room I waited, and as he came past I ended up a little aground on the towpath side.  I had just extricated myself when I spotted another one coming.  If only the first boat had said there was another behind.  Entry to Salterford Tunnel is from half past each hour for 20 minutes, and we got there at a time we could go straight through too.

Barnton Tunnel isn’t timed, but you can’t see if there’s anything coming until the last moment because of the angle of approach.

Adrian was at the bow and could hear talking, so thought there was a boat coming.  Fortunately I was going very slowly, so could back up and wait.  We’d not long passed  boat which had come through, and I’d asked him if there was anything behind, but just got a blank look.  Maybe people just aren’t aware of what’s going on just behind them.  Before long, the other boat appeared.

We went through, fortunately didn’t meet anything at the blind bridge that comes next, and moored in what’s become our usual spot at Anderton.  We walked a big bag of rubbish down to the skip (as there are no rubbish facilities on the Bridgewater) and had a ice cream from the visitor centre on the way back.

17 miles, 1 lock.  (80 miles, 15 locks)

Floating about: Day 8

Today ended up being the day when we tested how easy it is to get NHS treatment when you’re living on a boat.  But first, Bramble Cuttings was an idyllic mooring.  It was sunny and warm last night, and we had our Sunday roast on the picnic bench by the boat, as it was actually cooler outside than in.  This morning, we got yet another load of washing going (finally caught up) and set off just before 9.  When we got to the big flash, there were two boats across ways, and it wasn’t clear what was happening so I just drifted about waiting.  It turned out the blue boat had gone too far over and run aground on the mud, and the grey boat had rescued him.

There were lots of anglers setting up for a match through Broken Cross.  At the new waste to power site, three very tall cranes were in action today.

We needed water, but at the Anderton service point there were already two boats so we pulled over and waited.  Before long it was our turn and we filled to the brim.  We moored past the lift, where we stopped last time, where the mobile signal is better.

After lunch, we walked up the path into Barnton, because I wanted to see a pharmacist.  I’ve had an insect bite on my leg that’s not going away, and having Googled was worried it might be Lymes Disease, from a tick.  The pharmacist looked at it and agreed, but that meant he couldn’t treat it — saying it would need a doctor, and the best bet was NHS 111.  I rang straight away, and got through to a person almost immediately, in spite of the warnings of a 10 minute wait time.  They took loads of info and said I would get a call back.  We walked back to the boat and sure enough a call came fairly soon; they took loads of info and said it would be passed on and I’d get another call within 2 hours.  That call also came quite quickly, they took a load of information and said I needed to be seen in person.  However, apparently there were no suitable doctors at the Urgent Treatment Centre in Northwich, I needed to go to Leighton Hospital in Crewe.  So I took an appointment for 5pm and jumped in an Uber.  I was there an hour early, and was finally seen an hour late, so there was a lot of sitting about.  The decision was that as I’ve had the bite for a little while, I should be treated, so I have a prescription which I’ll have to get filled tomorrow.  All in all it’s been a long afternoon, but we got there in the end.  For some reason the Uber back as much cheaper than the one there.

8 miles, 0 locks.  (37 miles, 13 locks)

Greater Cheshire: Day 9

A non-moving day today, so we had a pretty easy start to the day.  We spent a little time cleaning the boat, as we were expecting guests.  Mid-morning, our friends Brian and Mike arrived, and after tea and coffee we went for a walk down to the Lift visitor centre, and then along the weaver and back to the canal and along.  This weekend there’s a floating coffee shop doing a good trade along the towpath.

We had a late lunch, then as it wasn’t raining we decided to go for another walk, going the other way up the canal.  Of course within a few minutes it started raining again.  We walked up as far as Barnton Tunnel, at which point it turned heavy with a few claps of thunder.  After waiting for a slight break in the rain, we headed back, only for it to become torrential again.  We took shelter under a bridge for a bit.

This evening, a historic boat came by, towing a butty without even a cabin, on a long line.

It’s also been pouring with rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning.  Brian and Mike will be staying the night, and then heading off on the next stage of their trip in the morning.

0 miles, 0 locks.  (44 miles, 14 locks)

Greater Cheshire: Day 8

With Saltersford Tunnel and it’s timed entry system about three miles ahead, we’d worked out that if we left at about quarter past the hour, we’d be about right for the tunnel an hour and a quarter later.  So we set off at 8.15.  There was light rain for most of the morning, although it didn’t seem to bother a kingfisher who kept flying in front of the boat for a long stretch.  Each time he stopped, I failed to get a photo.  The sun occasionally tried to break through the clouds.

We got to Saltersford a little early, but only about 5 minutes or so.

It’s only just over 400 yards long, but it’s so bendy inside that you can’t see the other end at all.

Out the other side, across Barnton Pool, and into Barnton Tunnel.  This one you can see the other end, but only a small sliver of it, and only when you’d done the turn to line up.

At the other side of Barnton Tunnel there’s another challenge, which is getting round a sharp bend and under a road bridge, and hoping no-one is coming the other way.

We moored up on the 2 day moorings at Anderton, just before the boat lift, because I have a strong 5G signal here and Adrian has a few calls this weekend.  We’d barely done two hours boating.  We walked down to the visitor centre to see the Daniel Adamson steam tug, which had come up the River Weaver on a trip yesterday.

Later on we went back because we knew it was scheduled to set off on its return trip at 12.30.  They sometimes do a short turnaround cruise which would be worth doing, but today it went into reverse and by using one of the stern lines on a bollard, backed into the basin below the boat lift.

Then it was off down the Weaver, heading for the Manchester Ship Canal and Ellesmere Port.

This afternoon we’ve had more rain showers, but once it had stopped we walked back to the previous bridge and found a path along the offside of the canal which leads up to Barnton village.  There’s a decent little Co-op there where we could get the things we forgot yesterday.

4 miles, 0 locks.  (44 miles, 14 locks)

North West Passage: Day 22

We had a relaxed start to the day as the lock keepers don't arrive until 9.30 on a Saturday. Once the lock was ready we went up with a lovely little river boat.

Above the lock there were rowers and a boat yard, with some big old boats gently rusting away.

There's a big blue road bridge over the river, which I remember driving over a few times, and a high railway viaduct.

The entrance to Vale Royal lock is rather impressive. Like Hunt's, there are two locks, with the smaller one being used. In this case, it's beyond the big lock.

On the approach to Winsford, there's a very impressive looking salt mill, followed by huge piles of salt. Adrian looked up their website, which explains how they mine the salt.

We'd been hoping to poke our nose into Winsford Flash, just to have a look. But the Vale Royal lock keeper had advised that the salt fair was being held there, and the large number of boats attending would make it extremely difficult to turn to get back out again. So we ended up turning by the Red Lion pub, and returned to the lovely Vale Royal moorings for lunch. The towpath there is quite busy, and more than one dog stuck its head through the side hatch.

After lunch we went back through Vale Royal lock, where they currently have a novel way of opening the bottom gates. The mechanism is away being restored, but the gates are too big to move manually, so they fire up a little generator which operates a logging winch. Both lock keepers there were very friendly and chatty -- unlike the one at Hunt's Lock. Once down that one, we carried on to the service block at Northwich. Adrian walked to the nearby Waitrose while I looked after water, washing machine, and the loo. Just along from there, on the opposite side, is a very smart new Odeon cinema.

It was just a short hop to the moorings at Anderton. We were booked on the lift at 5pm, but knew that the one before was a 3.30 so decided to move over to the holding moorings a bit early. We'd just set off when Kevin and Vicky Blick on Harry appeared, so we returned to where we'd been. We had a look at Harry, which was still being worked on last time we saw it, and Kevin and Vicky came on board for a cup of tea. It was really lovely to see them, if only for under an hour.

At 4.30 we set off for the holding moorings, where a CRT staff member told us we could go straight onto the lift.

We had to wait while the trip boat sorted itself out at the top of the lift, during while time there was a torrential downpour including some hailstones. Finally we were on the move, and passengers on the trip boat seemed very excited to see us as we crossed halfway up.

With it being relatively late by the time we were up the lift, we were a bit worried about finding a mooring. As it turned out, there was one immediately after the lift entrance, so we grabbed it, and the sun has come back out.

12 miles, 4 locks. (258 miles, 137 locks)

Big Trip - Day 17

Yesterday evening there was a knock on the boat.  It was Mark and Corinne who are fitting out their narrowboat just along the canal from Lymm, and write the Narrowboat Build blog.  They'd seen from the blog where we were and came to say hello, on their way to their boat.  It was fantastic to meet them, and a shame we couldn't spend longer chatting.

This morning, we had more visitors.  Our friend Nicola with her son Ewan, whom we haven't seen for the best part of a year.  Ewan has cerebral palsy, and this was to be his first trip on a boat.  Before we set off, Adrian popped into the village to go to the bakery, and also visited the market, which was right opposite the boat, where he bought a couple of pies we'll have for dinner this evening.

Ewan seemed to like boating, feeding the swans, and watching other boats we passed.  The family lives just a stone's throw from the canal near Grappenhall, but when we got there they flatly refused to get off, and insisted we take them on to Stockton Heath from where they'd walk home.  There werre some tiny mushrooms growing on the towpath next to where we moored.

Once there, we spent a couple of hours chatting over tea, coffee, and toasted tea cakes.  It was great to see Nicola and Ewan, who really are pretty special.

Setting off again, the sun made every effort to come out, and we made good progress on this relatively wide and deep canal.

As we travelled along, we considered further the forecast for Monday, the day we'd planned to do the Ship Canal.  If anything, the forecast has worsened, with winds of 28mph forecast.  That would be well outside what we could cope with.  Delaying until Tuesday didn't look like an option, as the forecast is only a little better.  We also thought about ditching the Ship Canal altogether.  Then Adrian wondered whether we could go tomorrow instead - so I started making phone calls.  Everything needs to be booked 48 hours in advance, so each of the three parties involved (the Ship Canal Company, CRT, and the local council) would have been well within their rights to say no.  But they were all excellent, pulled out all the stops, and agreed that we could do the trip tomorrow afternoon.  We're booked out of Western Marsh Lock at 3pm.

Then we had to make sure we could get there on time!  We decided we'd make an effort to get to Anderton this evening, so we could get an early slot on the lift tomorrow, giving us plenty of time to get to the lock.  It means we won't be able to do all of the River Weaver, but something had to give.

So we continued past the distinctive tower of the Daresbury research lab, with the Runcorn water town on the opposite side.

We arrived at Preston Brook tunnel at just the right time (entry southbound is for ten minutes from the half hour, and a boat tied up waiting waved us through.  At the stop lock just beyond, the difference in water level is so slight that it was difficult to tell whether the lock was full or empty.

Now back on the Trent and Mersey we passed the site of the Dutton breach, where there was just one boat moored.  There are superb views across the valley.

We had to wait a few minutes for the timed Saltersford Tunnel, which is ridiculously bendy.  It's only 424 yards long, but you can't see from one end to the other.  You actually have to steer round corners!

Barnton Tunnel is a little longer, and you can just see through - although not until your nose is virtually in the tunnel.

We've found a good mooring spot opposite Anderton Marina.  We'll get fuel and a pump out tomorrow in preparation for our Ship Canal trip, then wind and go back to the lift.  Tomorrow is going to be quite a day!

18 miles, 1 lock.  (203 miles, 117 locks)