Thursday 13^th September. Boat nice and warm and the promise of a decent sunrise. Decided that today we would actually go somewhere and so we cast off, after the obligatory eggs and bacon, and got all prepared for our first lift bridge of the day. Weren’t we lucky? Someone else got there before us and so we sailed through with a cheery wave. Part way along the canal at New Mills one of the old mill factories is now a sweet factory and the smell of sugar and flavourings and, well, sweets just overwhelms you. Looking ahead of us we could see clouds on the skyline but then we realised that above the clouds there was another range of hills.  

I’m not sure if it comes across that well in the picture but the second hill is there, I can assure you. At the next swing bridge Brigid decided to give it a go.

She finally got the hang of it once she tried to push it the right way – mind you, they are heavy beasties. Anyway, to make up for our previous good fortune with the lift bridges Brigid let another two boats through before clanging the thing shut again. We have ended up today in Bugsworth Basin.

The basin was once a kind of open-air factory where limestone was brought from a nearby quarry and loaded into limekilns. After being processed, the lime produced was then transferred into canal boats and shipped out. Some pictures are included to give an idea of the layout.

Quite an idyllic spot nowadays but a place covered in sulphurous fumes when the limekilns were in operation. Have found another pub nearby – The Navigation. Might venture out later to see what it’s like.