Knighton

 Lucky me, only 5 locks today. 

Before we set off we walked into Market Drayton for a bit of shopping. After that we emptied the loo and admired one of the trad boats heading down to Audlem.

Within a mile of setting off, the first of the Tyrley Locks. 

A lovely set of locks surrounded by trees. 

But have a look at the rock that the navvies had to get through. No JCBs, no diggers, just pick axes and dynamite. 

We made it to the top lock in just under an hour. Pretty good going for us since one of the gates refused to open until I stopped trying to force it and gently pulled the gate with one hand. 

We're now entering Woodseves Cutting. A very narrow cutting where we were advised to travel at 2mph only. 

This landslide shows you why we need to keep our speed down and not create a wake. 

Because of the depth of the cutting the bridges are spectacularly tall. 

In many places the towpath was running with water. Luckily this stretch was all stone but there was plenty of evidence of landslips where water was seeping through the soil. 

Once we got out of the cutting we could see in the distance The Wrekin - a grey hump in the middle of the picture. 

We found some mooring rings before Knighton in what we thought was a nice quiet place. Surprise, surprise, the local farmer had other ideas and was combining the field right next to us until late in the evening. There he is going over the bridge. 

Actually it didn't disturb us at all and we are glad that there are people like him keeping the country fed. 

On to Market Drayton

 They never tell you when you get married to check the length of a girl's legs. That's why I've ended up doing 16 locks today. You remember, long legs and you can step across the lock gates. 

I even started the day off by walking to the first lock. Here's the captain driving the boat away from the mooring. 

It's interesting to note the different types of huts used by the lock keepers and linesmen. 

Some big, some small. 

We actually made good time getting to the top of the Audlem flight. Only a couple of hours to clear 11 locks. At the top lock (above) there is a small canalside stall with homemade pies and pasties, cakes, cold drinks, etc. We bought a couple of pasties and a pork pie and supper and lunch respectively. 

Then on to Adderley Locks. Note, the captain's still driving. 

Mind you we did get stuck on the ledge at one of the locks and I had to forgo any intelligence I may have had and resort to brute force to get us off. The only problem with brute force is that I was sitting on the narrow gunwale with my back against the cabin and when I extended my legs to get us moving I nearly slid off into the canal. To avoid that calamity I quickly slid along and gracelessly lowered myself backwards into the well deck at the front. Now, not a pretty sight but try to imagine me on my back, legs in the air, in a narrow space thinking: how do I get out of this position? I managed somehow but the captain was quite concerned for my safety since she couldn't see what was going on. I'm sure that someone with shorter legs would have done it more gracefully. 

A glance back at the turnover bridge. As you look at the bridge, the horse would come along the towpath, through the arch, over the bridge on the right hand side and recommence towing on the left hand side. 

A nice welcome sign as we enter Market Harborough. 

The renovated canalside in the centre. 

And, at the weekend, a floating market. It seems to be doing a good trade already and it's only Thursday. 

Not all the old buildings have disappeared. 

We moored up close to the road into town. We also helped a Canadian boater to squeeze in behind us and I had fun playing with the ropes to give him a bit more room to get in. 

No walks today, I've already walked nearly 3 miles just up and down the locks. 

Should sleep well. 

Memories of Audlem

 We set off from Nantwich at around 11 o'clock. 

Passing the moored boats, someone called to us that there was a buzzard in a tree opposite.

Being up on an embankment meant that we were level with the top of the tree and had a good view of this bird of prey. 

Next, just round the corner, Nantwich Aqueduct. 

The Nantwich Aqueduct is a radical 1826 civil engineering design by Thomas Telford that uses a lightweight cast-iron water trough instead of heavy traditional stonework. 

And here we are floating across the main road. 

The first lock of the day at Hack Green. Please note that I drew the short straw and the captain is driving today. It was all carefully explained to me that because my legs are longer I can step across the lock gates to shut them both. 

At Hack Green there is a 'Secret Nuclear Bunker.' Usually there is a sign to this effect but I missed it this time round. 

Remember the mile posts on the Macclesfield Canal, all stone. Well these are the cast iron ones on this canal. 

We are now at the foot of the Audlem flight of 15 locks. 

18 years ago on our first ever trip in Polgara, this is where it started to snow. Something we had not prepared for. The captain looked like Michelin Man in jumpers and waterproofs. 

3 locks done and we're at the Shroppie Fly. This is where the snow had started to settle. 

Audlem Mill, next to the Fly, is up for rent and the lovely shop is no longer there. 

The entrance to these locks is very narrow and the bye wash is quite strong. It's a given that you won't enter many of the locks without touching the sides. 

We went through one last lock and then stopped for the night. We didn't fancy tackling the remaining 11 locks straight off, so we went for a walk instead.

Our first stile of the day.

The second one was a bit superfluous, just standing in the middle of the field. 

What an imposing church. The church stands on a hill in the middle of the village. We had a good old mooch around the town and then back to the boat. 

We were lucky to get a mooring because there is going to be a gathering of old working boats this coming weekend and various moorings have been reserved for participants. Mind you, we did get stuck on the shelf which we noticed when the boat started to lean over at an angle. For some reason this canal was built with a shelf along most of its length. Many folk have tyres floating in the water to keep a distance from the bank. All we did was to push the boat out a bit and kept our fingers crossed. 

A peaceful night was had by all with no odd bumps in the night. 

On to Nantwich

 

Our mooring overnight came complete with mooring rings, picnic bench and barbecue stand. The height of luxury. 

After setting off we realised that we had chosen the best place as, round the corner, there was a line of boats moored nose to tail. 

We stopped at Venetian Marina to top up with fuel (an arm and a leg job) before going through the lock which was being looked after by two lockies. 

Then a steady cruise along to Barbridge Junction where we purchased Polgara some 18 years ago. 

A look back at the bridge we just came through and we are now officially on the Shropshire Union Canal. 

The Olde Barbridge Inn. 

And a look at the place where we picked up the boat all those years ago. 

We are now approaching the Llangollen Canal and this is Hurleston Reservoir. Normally the reservoir is fed by water from Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen. However, because of a breach, water is being pumped into it from the Shroppie. The reason for doing so is because it is a major source of drinking water for South Cheshire. Obviously, this doesn't help the water levels in the canal. 

A temporarily redundant sign post to Llangollen.

Because a notice on the lock gate says: Canal Closed. A shame really because we had hoped to go that way this year. 

Instead we stopped in Nantwich and had a walk around the town. The captain is standing in front of the chimney of what used to be a Coach Manufactory. There's also a clock inside a see through cabinet but it wasn't working! 

Nantwich has many old buildings, too many to include in the blog. If ever you're along this way it's well worth a visit. 

And right in the middle of Nantwich, the River Weaver. We just can't get away from it. 

Low water levels

 Having said that we had escaped the lock closures, we woke up to boaters saying that the levels on the Middlewich Branch were very low and boats were running aground. 

Well, we set off and said farewell to the pleasant gardens opposite. 

But the levels are low. The grey line at the top is where the water should be. We managed to get past a boat that was having difficulty clearing one of the bridges. 

Once through the first lock things got a bit better. Just passing a rather nice property which may have been stables or maybe a replica. Not sure. 

Here we are looking across to Church Minshull. We have moored here before and walked down to the village. But not this time. 

Looking across to Aqueduct Marina. On the approach to the marina an unpowered boat was across the canal but there were half a dozen marina staff hauling on ropes and sorting things out. 

This was followed by towpath repairs at Minshull Lock where I had to drop the captain off way back down the towpath while I waited midstream for the dredger to stop work to allow me to pass. 

Here we are in the lock, all of them are fairly deep on this canal. 

What a day! Low water, drifting boat and canal dredging. Time to moor the boat for the night and dream about tomorrow.