And onto the Shroppie

Plane of the day – a Hawker Hurricane

It rained hard during the night, and there was a shower first thing as well. It was very unusual to see early morning boaters wearing waterproofs, not something we’ve been familiar with this summer. Some hirers had faith in continuing good weather of course, a hardy breed in their shorts and tee shirts with utter determination that the day will be sunny.

The locks in Middlewich were very busy, so it was sad to see many (most?) of the Anderson hire fleet moored up with no sign of being “turned-around” for holiday makers. Boats in both directions through the locks usually mean life is easier but some people have their own way of doing things which had folk scratching their heads wondering what was going on.

Out of the top lock and hard right into the Middlewich arm where we waited for the boat in front of us to ascend Wardle lock. Once through that we had the canal almost to ourselves again although it became busier the nearer we got to Barbridge.

Left onto the Shroppie mainline and the area around the Barbridge Inn was like Piccadilly circus. Where Graham wanted to leave Jannock is now a 48hr mooring so we continued on through bridge 100 and moored just after on a 14 day mooring. Should be secure as bows were moored to piling even though the stern was on two pins.

A hirer who was moored behind us returned from the pub and asked us where they could wind to return to the junction. We advised using Hurlestone junction but he said that someone in the pub had told him to turn where the willow tree is. He then cast off and tried to turn where we were moored, until the far side land owner advised him that his tree was a not a willow tree and that was why he was unable to turn. The hirer then moved further down the cut and successfully winded after the willow tree.

G&B

Two tunnels, two brief stops

Graham was up and out at 7:30 this morning and returned at 8 with a container of blackberries as we didn’t have anything to carry them in last night. Two hire boats passed us before 9am. After the dearth of boats ooop North, any boats are a novelty – even hire boats.

 

We travelled past the Black Prince Acton base where they have a couple of the new liveried dark blue boats as well as lots of red and blues. Then on through Saltisford and Barnton tunnels where we didn’t have to wait at all. As we approached the entrance to the latter a boat was emerging so we went across (whilst signalling) to pass on the other side so that they could exit the tunnel easier. The steerer rewarded us by telling us that we “ were on the wrong side of the canal”. Cheek, The ‘right side’ would have upset him more. Wish we hadn’t bothered.

 

Round the corner to Barnton wharf where we stopped to off-load some of our surplus into our car placed here yesterday. Then on past the ‘closed’ Anderton lift desperately trying to avoid hitting numerous Day boats that managed to get them selves on the wrong side, and in one case right across, the cut as we approached. New steerers always make the same mistake, rather than slowing right down and steering around a problem they always hit reverse hard and swing themselves out of control.

 

We stopped at Anderton services for a water fill. Having no CaRT pump-out card available (the last one didn’t work 18 months after we had purchased it as an emergency precaution) and not being able to find a suitable mains drainage manhole cover, Graham didn’t do a self pump-out.

 

Then on through Marston, Wincham and Rudheath towards Middlewich. Graham has always fancied mooring at Bramble Cuttings but it was occupied and way too early when we got there, so we carried on and moored for the night at Croxton Flash. The orange markers on the concrete bank here indicate that CaRT may be installing mooring bollards or rings here soon.

G&B

Car shuffle day.

Graham started the day with a 32 mile run on the DiBlasi back to Burscough via Warrington, St Helens and Rainford. He was amused to pass through a village named Clock Face on-route. He then drove our car down to Barnton, near Northwich, returning to Lymm on the Di Blasi again.

Brenda decided that whilst moored in Lymm for the morning she’s seen more boats moving than at any time whilst the other side of the Poolstock/Wigan restriction.

We set off with the intention of stopping at bridge 15 to dispose of a weeks worth of rubbish at the canal side waste recycling unit immediately before the bridge. Luckily there was a gap in the line of moored boats that we could briefly stop in.

We then planned visiting the Heritage Centre, shown in Nichs’ map the other side of the canal to Walton Hall. We moored up at bridge 13 and then walked down the road past all the lovely 1880s estate cottages. We passed the crematorium and went all the way down to the pub and village hall on the main road – no sign of a Heritage centre anywhere. Graham then googled ‘Walton Hall Heritage centre’ to find that it is actually the Walton Hall estate on the other side of the canal, where we stopped and visited on the way up to Liverpool on 13th June.

Brenda’s penance for getting it wrong was to buy the ice-creams during the walk back to the boat. Plain vanilla for Graham but smothered in sherbet and sauce for her. Excellent ice-creams – very creamy and filled right to the tip of the very crisp cornet.

 

We then continued on towards Preston Brook and had to wait 15 minutes to enter the tunnel as this one is time controlled. We had a good rummage at the ‘book and sick’ library that one of the tunnel end canal side cottages has set up. We managed to leave more than we took as we’ve got through a lot of books this summer.

 

Through Dutton stop lock we then moored for the night alongside Longacre wood. In the evening we went for a walk through the woods and back along the towpath, spotting some lovely blackberries on our way. We also spotted a local cat that had caught a mouse and was playing with it on the lawn.

G&B

Evening visitors in Lymm

After s nice peaceful night we set off at 9am – destination Dunham Massey – how ever, by the time we had crossed the Barton Swing Aqueduct, past Waters meet and down through Stretford and Sale, it was way too early to stop so we continued on to Lymm.

 

The water levels in the Manchester ship canal pound that passes below the aqueduct leave a little to be desired – not going to get many ships up there in a hurry.

 

We got a cheery wave from the operators of the Sale canoe hire base as we passed under the bridge where their base is. Unfortunately one of their canoes, crewed by two middle aged men, was tacking down the Sale straight from side to side with little clue on what other boats were about. Another narrowboat heading towards them (& Manchester) got their attention so they pulled across to the offside and hovered near the boat club moorings. Once he had passed they pulled out right into Jannock’s path again so a blast on the horn got their attention and sent them into the side again.

 

About 10 minutes later, just after we had passed under the next bridge, Brenda looked back and watched them capsize the canoe. They immediately ignored all the concerned towpath walkers who stopped and swam to the offside boat club moorings instead. If they managed to get out of the canal onto the bank I wonder how they were going to get out of the locked compound.

The promised rain held off and we had made good time so we went to Lymm and arrived to find a prime off side mooring spot free – excellent! We then went shopping ready to receive Trevor (one of Graham’s ex workmates) and Ann for an evening visit.

 

It was a good evening, plenty of chat of friends, families and shared memories of work and boats. Trevor was brought up in a house backing onto the canal at Worsley, so we fed the Worsleyberries, that we picked not 50m from his old house, for desert. After a good evening thy returned to Wigan just after 10pm and we cleared up and retired to bed exhausted.

G&B

Hunting Worsley old Post Office

The morning crept up on us as there was no sun first thing, that came out later. There was a lot of wind though so Graham’s first task was to help out the ‘roving botanist’ who had stopped in front of Jannock.

She had made an early start having found that her mooring pegs had come (or been pulled) out and were lost in the canal. Unfortunately her hire company didn’t supply the type with rope loops welded on and so she had only been able to loop her ropes around. Luckily the breeze was blowing her boat onto the bank, unlike where she had stopped in front of us where it was desperate to get her boat across the cut.

 

An extra pair of hands to help her moor the boat with the addition of two donated mooring pins (thanks Brian of Harnser) set her right. She is off to run a photography workshop in Leigh library this afternoon and was praying that sunshine would come out. It did!

 

We went back into Leigh to wander around the market. We will forever refer to Leigh as ‘Pie Town’ from now on – never seen so many pie shops and stalls in one town before. Back to Jannock armed with DVDs and books as the nights are drawing in.

 

We set off at 11am towards Worsley and had a pleasant cruise in the sunshine even though the wind was cold. As we approached the motorway bridge we spotted a water feed into the canal, this is being pumped in from and underground source. 

 

We have been tasked by an old friend of ours to find Worsley old Post Office as her mother, Dora, was born there and spent her early years in Worsley. Her parents had been post master and mistress there at the time.

 

We had an idea where in the village it was likely to be and headed off once we were moored up. Graham had done a Google search and found a post card for sale on Ebay that showed Worsley old Post Office. We got side tracked as they have now finished all the works showing the history of the Delph, and then decided that we had no idea where else to look as nothing looked right. 

 

Graham had a lightbulb moment and wandered into the estate agents office to show them the picture and see if they could help. Various suggestions of possibilities came from the girls in the office with nothing definite, until they asked Paul, who was outside on a mobile call. He pointed out that we were in the building beside the Post Office in the picture and that the pub/restaurant next door was what we were looking for.

 

We had walked past it, opposite it and had it in front and behind us as we had photographed the Delph. We are idiots! So Dora, we got the answer and sent it to your family xxx.

 

On the way back to Jannock we noticed the old lime kilns and went to investigate. We came away from there with a baseball cap full of superb blackberries. A Worsleyberry spot to remember.

 

G&B

A lot of walking

We had a very peaceful night alongside Ince Moss flash. A few walkers and cyclists came past during the evening, mostly taking exercise rather than journeying. The wildfowl were quiet and no boats passed us all night.

The nights are drawing in – how did that happen? 

 

We set off to Plank Lane where we filled with water from the tap in the pump-out cabin before lifting the bridge and passing through.  Two ‘well being’ gardens have been created by the car park in the service area. Lovely, just what’s needed in a well greened area, and were the gardens well weeded? For ‘wellbeing’ somewhere for boaters to dispose of domestic rubbish would be a little more appropriate. Nothing on CaRT waters between Litherland and Anderton, that can be days of travelling.

 

We pulled over at Pennington flash, somewhere we’ve been meaning to stop at every time we’ve passed but we’ve never had the time before. The cooler weather meant that we could enjoy a good long wander around the country park, visiting many bird watching hides. Lovely.

 

We then continued on to Leigh where we moored immediately before the bridge. Then visited both Lidl and Aldi as well as wandering around the shopping centre picking up things we needed. Back to Jannock to offload before heading out again to The Thomas Burke (‘spoons) for a particularly good steak dinner – rude not to on a Tuesday.

 

Good or bad, you decide, we then got slightly wet during the walk back to the boat.

We’re free!

Monday 15th August 2022

Last night we’d found out that one other boat moored overnight at Crooke was booked in for the 14:00 transit through Poolstock locks so we agreed to share locks up to Wigan in the morning.

This morning, we set off in hope ….   The weather was warm but without the blazing blue sky we’ve had the past few days. We had an un-eventful cruise up through three locks to arrive at the Wigan holding point at 11am for our appointment to ‘leave the area’ It started raining, but not a lot.

 

2pm came and we readied for the off. Our partner through the locks was a single handed newbie in nb Woodstock, a hire boat that had been loaned her for two weeks. She is performing a plant study of some sort or other in the Wigan area, repeating research that her Gran did in the 50s. Her boat was her base and also dark room to process the data and photos.

One of the Wigan volunteers accompanied to help with the difficult locks. With CaRT lockies too we made easy, if slow progress through the three locks and onto the Leigh branch of the L&L canal. Free at last!

 As we passed Scotman's flash, we picked up something around the prop so pulled into the side to clear it, however by the time Graham had got down the weedhatch there was nothing there so it must have been cleared during our mooring operation.

Moored next to an old shale pit on Ince Moss, our company for the night was wildfowl. En-route there, we’d picked a pint and a half of nice blackberries for tonight’s tea.

G&B

Another lazy shady day

Sunday 14th August 2022

As we were considering setting off, another boat came along and Graham agreed to lock share Dean lock with them. We caught them up just as they were entering the lock. There were a couple of boats moored in the adjacent old lock entrance who had blocked off the lock access bridge to keep their dogs in so they worked the offside gates and paddles for us.

 

Shortly after the lock, we found a lovely wooded shady area at Gathurst so we stopped and tied up for the day, that was one hours cruising from Appley Bridge. We may move on to Crooke later as Graham fancies a meal out tonight at the Crooke Hall Inn. Fingers crossed that our peaceful shady mooring isn’t disturbed by the Ultra loud party boat again like last evening.

 

So many walkers and cyclists passed us and all were friendly, we engaged quite a few of them in conversations about what the world, summer and canal life in general has to offer. Folk are so much more sociable up here in Lancashire than down South.

 

We were also entertained by the local wildlife which included a wandering mink which caused all the woodland birds (inc. Blackcap and Nuthatch) to raise the alarm, a Woodpecker that was attacking a tree opposite and a Buzzard that was quartering the woods. We even had a Lancaster bomber fly over so we assumed a local air show was on (Blackpool as it turned out) 

 

By about 5pm we decided it was time to continue on to Crooke and moor for the night so another 30 mins running time had up moored just downstream of Crooke Hall bridge. As we approached our new mooring a Deer came to canalside to watch us pass. I’ve never seen one that hasn’t been timid before. We then went for an excellent Sunday roast at the pub.

G&B

The only way to walk a spaniel

Saturday 13th August 2022

We were up and away very early (for Jannock) this morning hoping to avoid the worst of the heat. Brenda was even awake and had her breakfast when we set off at 8am. As she said – “needs must!”

 

As we passed the top of the Rufford Arm there was a widebeam waiting for the locks to be un-locked …… homophones are such a nuisance. We were dismayed a while later when we learnt from Farcebook that the locks were closed awaiting scenes of crime officers.

 

We had a pleasant three hour cruise through Parbold and Appley locks where we hoped to find a shady tree above. No luck as the towpath is so wide that all possible shade was too far from the water. On through Appley Bridge to find a nice tree overhanging the canal just past the Boathouse pub.

 

To offset our thoughts of a crime scene we settled on the shady bank and watched a sponsored walk, numerous dog walkers and a sponsored rugby club fancy dress cycle ride pass. Brenda especially enjoyed the concept of a mermaid riding a bicycle. 

The Parbold charity boat passed both ways taking disabled folk on a cruise and in the evening we even had a Wigan disco boat come down and wind opposite the boathouse before returning the way they had come. The party revellers had been at it for hours according to the staff member who manned the swing bridge.

During the early evening, Graham’s highlight was the couple walking their spaniel down the canal – them on the towpath and the dog swimming on a very long lead.

 

All-in-all, we had found a very nice shady spot for all day so the boat did not get too hot and we had entertainment on tap as far as the towpath and canal traffic was concerned.

 

Planning on doing similar tomorrow before the final push into Wigan on Monday ready for our afternoon booking through Poolstock locks.

G&B

Four swing bridges just to turn round

Friday 12th August 2022

We returned to Jannock late last night after 22 days absence. It had been a treat to see the grass and fields becoming more green as we travelled North unlike the brown at home.

We chose to drive up in the evening once the 30+ degree daytime temperatures had subsided, and there was a chance we wouldn’t be roasted alive in Jannock’s cabin. A good call. We moved all our stuff aboard from the car and then had a good night’s sleep.

 

Graham was up at sparrow’s fart getting all the little jobs done ready for us to bid farewell to Jannock’s home for too many weeks this summer. We travelled about a mile Westwards, through both Crabtree and New Lane swing bridges to the winding hole just before the permanently open Great Score bridge. Here we turned and then returned to Burscough once again where we filled with water before moving onto a visitor mooring to do the shopping.

 

It was so hot that we decided to save shopping for later and brave out the heat using a jerry rigged sunshade over the foredeck. It still managed to reach over 34 degrees inside Jannock’s cabin.

When we finally decided to wander up Tescos for our provisions at 6pm it was still warm. Summer fashion had paraded past us all day on the cat-walk that is the towpath at Burscough. The worst of summer fashions had been worn earlier by a poor girl who walked towards us on Burscough high street with bright red sunburnt knees – she had obviously been wearing jeans with ripped knees earlier and will definitely be paying the price tonight! Sore or what?

G&B