To Langollen

[john6767]

Thursday 2 August

 

Time to resume travels.

 

The boat has been left a Swanley Marina since 15 July, and I made a trip there overnight a week ago and replaced a domestic battery that seemed to have developed a bad cell, so fingers crossed on that one. We travelled to the boat last night from home in Solihull, but because of work were not able to get off very early, arriving here just after 9PM. After loading a ton of food on board, we set off in search of a takeaway!

 

The plan for today I think is to get to the bottom of Grindley Brook, that way we split the locks up over 2 days rather than doing them all (except 2) today. We have plenty of time, we are meeting family for "the" aqueduct on Sunday lunchtime, and we could easily be there a day earlier than that.

Edited August 2, 2012 by john6767

[Argey_bargey]

Hope your have a great trip can't wait to hear the stories

[john6767]

Thursday 2 August (part two)

 

The morning was spent doing a few jobs on the boat, then we got caught up in watching the rowing, which all meant that it was midday before we were ready to set off. Of course right on cue, after a glorious morning, it started to rain and heavily at that. We eventually left our temporary mooring at Swanley Marina at about 1PM.

 

Up the 2 Swanley locks in the rain. I had forgotten about the evil by-washes on the Llangollen, there is certainly a lot of water coming down them. As we approached Baddiley locks we still had not seen a moving boat, what's all this about the Llangollen being busy in the school holidays then... Then we broke our duck, we had caught a boat up and they had just gone up the first lock, then between lock 1 and 2 there was a boat coming the other way, wow 2 boats it's getting busy! About half a mile above the top of the Baddiley 3 locks there was a string of 5 boats coming the other way, what's all that about then, does everyone travel in convoy round here.

 

Approaching Wrenbury there is the first lift bridge, the crew of the hire boat ahead of us helpfully waited for us to come through the bridge. We are now ahead of them, so we stop and open the electric lift bridge, and let them go through first. I notice like most hire bases we have passed,the Alvechurch base here has quite a few boats in the base, it looks like this is not a great summer for hire companies.

 

It is now 4PM, it would seem rude not to stop here for adrink, and as the Cotton Arms have a sign up by the canal saying that dogs are welcome, we decide to try there. The Cotton Arms seems to be a good basic pub, and nice drop of Black Sheep. As we did not have any lunch we have a snack, and like the pubs we had visited up the Shropshire Union the portions seem huge. We stay there longer than we had intended, hic.

 

We move off early evening, there are 4 more locks to our intended stopping place for the night. We go up the single lock at Marbury, and shortly after there is a nice mooring spot, so we decide to stop for the night.

 

It is a lovely evening, and there is no one near us so we can let the dog burn off some energy tearing up and down the towpath as we sit on the front of the boat watching the sun go down.

 

(posted Friday evening, as no internet access at Marbury on Friday Morning)

[john6767]

Friday 3 August

 

The weather forecast was for dry in the morning turning to rain in the afternoon, so we got off early to get the locks done in the dry. The first lock is Quoisley, the one where theboat sank on Monday. As we arrived the boat that had passed us just before we set off was entering the lock, and there was one waiting to come down, perhaps it will be busy today then. As we were waiting I was looking at the lock wondering how they managed to get into trouble, and 2 things struck me. This lock like I believe many others on the Llangollen does not have the usual metal plates to fill the gap between the bottom gates. The top of the wood there is well worn away, a sign that many fenders have been in the gap. The second point is that this lock empties very quickly, so little time to react if things go wrong.

 

At Willeymoor lock (too early for the pub), we got the first news of possible trouble ahead. The rumor is that the lift bridge 34 at Whitchurch has been hit by a boat and is inoperative. There is a steady stream of boats coming the other way, many are Alvechurch boats from Wrenbury Mill returning for hand back on Saturday. We are still following the same boat up the locks.

 

The same pattern follows at Grindley Brook, at the bottom lock we wait a few mins for the boat coming down. As we are coming out of the bottom lock, a boat comes round the corner from the second lock up; Sally walks ahead to the lock, just are the crew of the next boat coming down are starting to turn the lock on us, hum. Not sure what she says, it will have been very polite for sure, but they just stop what they are doing and walk back to their boat, leaving the bottom gates half closed, takes all sorts I guess.

 

We get to the staircase just as the boat we had been following goes into the bottom chamber, and Sally goes up to talk to the lock keeper, expecting that we will be able to follow then up as soon as they move to the next chamber. For some reason the lock keeper seems to want to work everyone through himself, so we basically wait until that boat has gone up the staircase before we can empty the bottom lock and go up. Seems to be a rather inefficient way of doing it to me, but luckily it is not busy and the holdup is no more than 10 mins.

 

Talking with the lock keeper he confirms that there is indeed an issue with bridge 34, but he knows no details and suggests we call the Northwich office. We use the services at the top of the locks, and then move to fill with water before calling. As we are filling a group of 3 or 4 boats appears, and we get the details for what is going on. A boat has indeed hit the lift bridge and has broken the bearing on one of the hinges. They had been stuck for 3 hours until CRT were able to get the bridge open, and CRT are now opening the bridge as needed. The replacement parts need to come from Watford apparently.

 

We push on past Whitchurch squeezing passed the moored hire boats at the base there. There are 4 CRT guys at the lift bridge which is open, and we go straight through, so what could have been an issue turned out not to be. Don't know what will happen later when those guys finish for the day though, will the bridge be left up or down.

 

From here on we see few boats moving, and at Whixall Moss we decide to go down the Prees Branch. After the first lift bridge we spot a nice mooring spot and carry on down to the marina at the end, turn round and come back to moor for the night. A pleasant evening, we have a barbecue and watch some of the Olympics.

[john6767]

Saturday 5 August

 

A very pleasant start to the day. While taking the dog for a walk I sit for a while on one of the benches at the junction of the Prees Branch and the Main Line, it is a surreal scene in total peace and quiet. Back at the boat we prepare for the off, the plan being to stop at Ellesmere for a bit and then move on to above New Marton locks.

 

The trip to Ellesmere is notable only for the torrential rain, that started as we approached the "meres". The rain stopped while we were in Ellesmere tunnel, so we stopped and used the services before mooring at the junction of the arm and walking into the town centre. A visit to the shops for some essentials and then time for a quick one in the Market Hotel (dogs welcome). The Olympics are on the TV and the mixed doubles is about to start. We get sucked in, and combined with more torrential rain, we end of staying to watch the whole match.

 

By the time we get back to the boat and off it is 6PM, much later than we had planned. The evening is pleasant enough though, and an uneventful trip brings us to the very long line of boats moored outside the Jack Mytton. As we approach the bottom lock there are a couple of people milling about there. It turns out to be a couple who are hiring a boat from the marina on the Prees Branch tomorrow, and are nervous about the locks and had come to look at what will be their first lock. Sally provides some instruction and hopefully helps to setting their nerves. We moor with a number of other boats above the top lock at just after 9PM as the mist forms.

 

We wanted to get above the locks, as we are meeting family at noon at Froncysyllte (I did have to check the spelling!), which I think will take the best part of 2 ½ hours from above the locks.

[john6767]

Sunday 5 August

 

A damp gloomy start to the day, but by the time we left at 9:30 it was bright sunshine. The run from New Marton locks to Chirk was very pleasant in the warm morning sunshine. Quite a lot of boats going the other way, and a lot of walkers on the towpath.

 

First incident of the day was just before the approach toChirk aqueduct, the channel is quit narrow and there are a few moored boat. The bow of a boat appears round the corner, so I stopped and was backing up to go into a space between 2 moored boats so he could pass, but for some reason he did not slow down and just barged his way through hitting me quite hard. Not a hint of an apology; why do people have to behave like this, this was not a hire boat.

 

We rounded the corner to Chirk aqueduct and there is no other boat in sight, so we go over the aqueduct on tick over while taking photos. At the other end of the aqueduct in the basin, there is a 2 man canoe waiting for the tunnel. Two boats come out of the tunnel and the canoe goes in. I was surprised as tunnel signs usually say no unpowered craft, but the Chirk one does as that passage by unpowered craft is allowed (is it because it has a towpath?). As I am following the canoe then of course no one is going to enter from the other end, but what if I was not there, would you see an canoe with no lights in the tunnel?

 

Through the gloomy cutting to Chirk Marina, and then the short Whitehouse tunnel and the approach to Froncysyllte where our guests are waiting as planned by the lift bridge. The canoe has taken advantage of the "convenient" bollards before the bridge to stop to have some lunch, very helpful.

 

I stop the other side of the lift bridge to get our guests on board, and a scary sight appears round the corner from the aqueduct, 3 day boats each with people occupying every available space including the roof, they play dodgems in the winding hole for a bit then moor up.

 

So time for the Pontcysyllte aqueduct then. There are no boats ahead and nothing coming the other way, so we go straight on. I got off to take photos, but it was hard to move as there are so many people on the towpath. Very scary, I am not great with heights at the best of times, but it is good to do this in our own boat, having done it in a hire boat in the past. We are soon across and make the sharp left turn up the feeder to Llangollen.

 

Very slow going up the feeder, but the sun is shining and it is quite surreal surroundings to be in a boat, hugging the side of the valley with "mountains" around you. We pass 2 trip boats coming down from Llangollen Wharf, and a steady stream of mostly hire boats. We start thinking about will there be space to moor in Llangollen.

 

At the first narrows a boat is coming through, and they have sent someone ahead, so we wait for them, and Sally starts to walk up to check it is clear for us to proceed. She calls back on the radio that it is clear and I proceed through. At the second (longer) narrows I stop by the sign and Sally again walks ahead to check it is clear. She calls back that there on one boat halfway down, clearly they have ignored the instructionsand not sent someone ahead. It is clear now and I start up the narrows, and Sally calls that there is a boat at the top who does not want to stop. He asks Sally it we are hire boat, and says that he will just ram us out of the way. She persuades him to wait, but I really do not understand how these people expect this to work in the narrows if you don't check it is clear? Neither were hire boats, and given they were on their way back, they must understand how the narrows work, and what is all this ramming people about then (one actual and one threat today).

 

So we make it to Llangollen, pay for our 2 nights stay, and use the services before proceeding past the wharf to the basin. There were a lot of free spaces on the towpath, and the basin is only about half full. It is about 3:30 and our guests leave, whilst it was nice to see them, it is good to get the boat bask to ourselves. It is a lovely afternoon, and we sit on the picnic bench overlooking the canal and the horse drawn boats. Over the next hour about half the boats leave and we realise that you can stay until 4PM without paying so that is why people are leaving. It leaves just 9 boats in the basin (capacity 32 I think) overnight, it is certainly not busy here.

 

About 5PM we set off to Horseshoe Falls on foot to complete the journey to the start of the Llangollen Canal. It is further that I thought, so we stop at the Chain Bridge Hotel (dogs allowed) for a drink before walking back, and then into the town to celebrate with a takeaway.

 

(sorry for my ramblings)

[john6767]

Monday 6 August

 

Not much to say as we are still in Llangollen. Not bad weather at all, one shower when we were in the pub at lunchtime. Went on the steam railway which was good. Basin a bit busier overnight, perhaps 20 boats.

[john6767]

Tuesday 7 August

 

Time to leave Llangolen as our 48 hours is up, as we leave the basin and pass the wharf, a sign of things to come as a string of hire boats arrive. We stop to use the services,and then wait for another group of boats to come up the narrows. Whilst it is very busy, everyone seems to be being sensible today. At the second narrows we wait again for a group of boats to come up. Beyond the narrows there is a steady stream of mostly hire boats coming up.

 

At the junction at Trevor we wait for a group of perhaps 6 boats to cross the aqueduct, and then we cross. It's still scary! Less people on the towpath than on Sunday, so take lots of pictures of the boat. Weather is fantastic again, so great views,but did I mention it is scary. At the Froncysyllte end of the aqueduct it is also busy, we go through the lift bridge in the middle of a group so get a free ride on that.

 

A steady stream of boats coming the other way, and we wait at Whitehurst tunnel for a boat to come through. Past Chirk Marina and then we wait at Chirk tunnel for a group of boats. One of the boats comes out of the tunnel at breakneck speed, and I turn into mr grumpy shouting at him to slow down, but he really is going VERY fast. As we come out of Chirk tunnel the aqueduct is clear so we go straight across and take more pictures.

 

At the other end of the Chirk aqueduct the pattern repeats, waiting boats followed by a steady stream of boats. About 90% of the boats coming the other way are hire boats, so whilst we had felt it was very quiet on our journey to Llangollen, and at Llangollen itsself, the return is starting out very busy, perhaps indicating a "tidal" flow of hire boats going to Llangollen. So top tip is don't plan to arrive to in Llangollen on a Tuesday.

 

We decide to stop at Lion Quays for some late lunch. If you don't know it, it is a modern hotel canal side with mooring pontoons in a basin at the side of the canal. If you stop there, go in bow first, it is very shallow. Very pleasantly surprised, the surrounding are nice, the beer very good (don't remember what it was, some local brew), and the food excellent and good value.

 

So after food and a couple of drinks in the hot sun, we really don't feel like moving, but we move on to past New Marton locks, were we even have to queue for the first time. Very pleasant mooring below the bottom lock, where we are ready to the hour trip to Frankton Junction, where we are booked to go down on to the Montgomery Canal on Wednesday between 12 and 2.

[john6767]

A few pictures on the aqueducts.

 

Pontcysyllte aqueduct, the scary one. BTW, the dog is fastened to the boat!

 

 

Don't look down....

 

 

Chirk aqueduct, not so scary

[Chasbo]

Tuesday 7 August

 

 

Past Chirk Marina and then we wait at Chirk tunnel for a group of boats. One of the boats comes out of the tunnel at breakneck speed, and I turn into mr grumpy shouting at him to slow down, but he really is going VERY fast.

 

I don’t know how a boat could emerge from Chirk tunnel on its way to Llangollen going at breakneck speed.

 

With the flow of water against me and the shallow and narrow channel I struggle to make any headway at all!

 

 

 

I have never stopped at Lion Quays but I will give it a try next time I am up that way. Try the Poacher’s Pocket at Chirk bank. It is actually much better that it looks from the outside.

[john6767]

I don't know how a boat could emerge from Chirk tunnel on its way to Llangollen going at breakneck speed.

 

With the flow of water against me and the shallow and narrow channel I struggle to make any headway at all!

 

I would agree with you, but he managed it, although the channel were you wait is perhaps 4x the width of the channel in the tunnel, so less flow effect. I suspect he had the power piled on to make good headway in the tunnel and forgot to back off when he can past the waiting boats. It was a dark red hire boat, not a company I know, and his excuse was he was with the boat in front as was trying to catch them up, so I guess that makes it ok then . No harm done, and I was soon mr smiley again!

 

 

 

[john6767]

Wednesday 8 August

 

Not too far to go, we need to be a Frankton at mid-day to go down on to the Montgomery. Again there is a lot of traffic, when the leave our mooring below New Marton locks, there are 4 boats waiting to go up, and we pass a lot of boats on the way to Frankton.

 

We arrive at Frankton at about 11:45 and the area above the locks is rather full of boats, although 2 of them are moored (on the visitor moorings) not waiting for the locks. We are number 4 to go down. The lock keeper arrives and starts the process, and we are out of the bottom of the 4 locks at about 1:45. We stop at the Weston arm and use the services, then down Graham Palmer lock.

 

It is really very very nice here, peace and quiet and the soft edges of the canal give it a river like feel, very tranquil.

 

We stop at Queens Head, and have a quick drink in the pub. Not really impressed, and after all the tranquillity, it seems ironic that the first place you can moor is right b ythe A5 and very noisy. I understand that there are ecology issues, but is does seem a shame that it is not possible to have a couple of rural mooring sites.

 

We move on and come to Aston locks, it's a bit confusing, this does not look much like the BCN! Past the Navigation Inn at Maesbury Marsh, we have had good reports, and intend to eat there. We are going to the end and then back to moor, so we note possible mooring locations as we pass.

 

By the lift bridge there is a lot of activity, the Waterway Recovery Group are doing tow path improvements, and they are just packing up for the day. The lift bridge is hard to operate, and there is even a "proper" sign that says when it stops to wait 30 seconds and then try again. Given it is hydraulic the wait can only be to let the hydraulic fluid drain back to the motor surely, and is that not easier fix than to produce a sign! True we are right on the edge of the network here, but everyone who comes this far has to go through the bridge to wind. One of the WRG team helps by pushing up on the counter balance to help the bridge go down.

 

We go round the corner and there is the wharf where you can wind and bridge 82 which is the current limit of navigation.

 

Back at the lift bridge and the last of the WRG team are leaving in their mini bus. Sally gets the bridge up ok, but again it will not go down easily, so I back the boat back up so that I can get off at the off side and push up on the counter balance and that gets it going as before.

 

We go back to a mooring spot on the 48hr moorings just before the lift bridge.

 

We walk back to the Navigation Inn, and it certainly lived up to it's recommendation. A really good meal, and very welcoming to both us and the dog.

[john6767]

Thursday 9 August

 

Second day on the Montgomery, it is still very nice! We take a walk on the towpath past the limit of navigation. The next section is in water and all ready to go, but I assume is not being used as there is nowhere to turn. There is a brand new liftbridge on this section too, and a farm has had a mooring constructed ready for a boat. At the next road bridge, which is marked as lowed in my Nicholsons, the water ends, but there is a new road bridge in place and the channel is profiled and being worked on. The sign indicates completion in 2012.

 

Back at the boat we check out the shop in the canal side cafe. Not much good unless you are desperate for tinned tomatoes, which is a shame as we are running out of a few supplies. There is a small horse drawn trip boat the operates from here as well.

 

Late in the afternoon when it has cooled down a bit, we move off to get closer to Frankton ready to go up the locks 12-2 tomorrow. Passing the Navigation Inn at Maesbury Marsh, there are some of the boats that have come down today. We let them know that we are the last to leave "the end" and that there are 5 very nice moorings waiting for them there!

 

We pass one more boat on the way to Queens Head, and then from the moorings at Queens Head a boat going in our direction spots us and hurriedly sets off ahead of us, I guess he wants to be ahead of us for the locks tomorrow. Between the winding hole and Graham Palmer lock there is a nice looking mooring spot so we cautiously try and get into the side, no problem at all, so that will do us for the night.

Edited August 11, 2012 by john6767

[john6767]

Friday 10 August

 

We move up to Frankton locks, and are number 3 in the queue to go up. The lock keeper arrives on time at noon, and informs us that there are 8 booked to go up, and 4 to go down, so she wants to get the boats going up first. The first 2 boats go up, but the second goes aground in the pound above the bottom lock, it is very low. We eventually get up the bottom 2 locks, and then we have to wait at the bottom of the staircase for 2 boats to come down. It is slow going and takes us almost 2 hours before we are back on the Llangollen.

 

We run round to Ellesmere, and stop off on the junction with the arm for a quick trip to Tesco's. It is very busy there , not helped by hire boats coming out of the marina getting their instruction.

 

When we get to Ellesmere tunnel, I approach the tunnel slowly as it is at an angle to the canal and you can't see if it is clear or not. There is someone in the tunnel who give 2 blasts on his horn, and I think I would like to see you do what you just indicated!

 

It is very hot, and we stop just short of the Prees Branch, and have a BBQ.

[john6767]

Saturday 11 August

 

We have 2 days to make the short distance back to Swanley marina, so there is not much of a rush. It is early afternoon before we leave our very pleasant mooring. It is not so hot today, and there are not so many boats moving. First job is the lift bridge at Whixall Moss., followed by the 3 lift bridges at Whitchurch. We did not stop at Whitchurch on the way out, but we decide not to today either, that will have to wait until another time.

 

We arrive at the top of Grindley Brook, and there are no boats there. We use the services while a couple of boats come up the staircase, and then we go down. There are 2 boats waiting below the staircase when we get there, but no others on the rest of the flight.

 

We were intending to stop at the pub by Whilley Moor lock for a drink, but it is 4:30PM when we get there and it does not open until 6PM, so we move on past Quoisley lock and moor in the 48hr moorings after the road bridge. Another very short days cruising.

 

A very pleasant evening and a bit cooler than the last couple of days. We soon got a precession of Alvechurch boats coming out of Wrenbury starting their trip to Llangollen, arriving I suspect with the rest on the busy Tuesday night. Pick your timing on this canal in the summer!

[john6767]

Sunday 12 August

 

All we have to do today is the few miles to Swanley Mariana where we will be leaving the boat again until we pick up on our travels.

 

Weather is OK when we set off, but just in time for Marbury lock it start to rain and to cap that there are 3 boats already waiting. So this looks like its going to be a slow few miles. Eventually onwards to Wrenbury, where there an Anglo Welsh boat is across the canal. Looks like Sunday is also a turn round day for them and they have more boats in the can fit in their basin. Get someone from the yard to come and sort it out, and through the electric lift bridge. At the manual lift bridge it is open, and as I am slowing down the bridge starts to lower, oh well. Sally has to wait for them to finish lowering it before she can cross and raise it again.

 

The boats seem to have disappeared and so we have an easy run down the remaining 5 locks to Swanley, and the weather picks up again.

[john6767]

Time-lapse video coming out of Llangollen and over the aqueducts.

 

[john6767]

Time-Lapse video on the Montgomery Canal

 

[IanM]

I really enjoy watching your timelapse videos John. What camera, etc do you use?

[john6767]

I really enjoy watching your timelapse videos John. What camera, etc do you use?

 

Thanks for that. It is a simple/cheap setup; a web cam connected to a netbook computer.

 

I was using a cheap 640x480 Chinese cam from ebay, but now have a HD one (Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000) which is1280x720 resolution.

 

The cam is on the tunnel light bracket at the top of the cratch board, secured with 2 clothes pegs, and connected to the computer in the cabin by a 3m USB extension cable.

 

On the computer I am currently using "booru WebCam 2.0" (Google it), set to take a image every 4 seconds and save it with the name derived from the timestamp (so the images are in order which is important.

 

To make the video I just use Windows Live Movie Maker as you already have it installed. Select all the images and drag them into Movie Maker, and when added change the duration in the edit tab to be 0.1 seconds for each image. With a image per 4 seconds and duration 0.1 seconds, 1 second on video represents 40 seconds real time. Clearly you can play with taking images at different intervals and using different durations for them on the video, those number just seem to work reasonably well. Then just write out a wmv file at 1280x720 resolution and upload that to YouTube.

 

 

 

[IanM]

Thanks for that

[17Tomodachi]

I live alongside bridge 43 on Llangollen Canal, Platt Lane, with a still derelict roofless Wagonners Inn down the road. The canal is very quiet (relative to previous years although still busy compared to most other canals) this year with a lot of the local hire boats left in the bases even at this time of year, the peak season.

[Timx]

I live alongside bridge 43 on Llangollen Canal, Platt Lane, with a still derelict roofless Wagonners Inn down the road. The canal is very quiet (relative to previous years although still busy compared to most other canals) this year with a lot of the local hire boats left in the bases even at this time of year, the peak season.

Aww poor hire boats not adjusting there prices and people voting with there feet

[john6767]

Monday 20 August

 

Having been away for the weekend, we travel back to the boat in the afternoon, going via Aston Marina near Stone to drop off a car. This will be where we will be leaving the boat on the Bank Holiday Monday. We are ready to leave Swanley around 6PM, with the intention of just doing the short trip down Hurleston and then stopping for the night.

 

Arriving at the top of Hurleston, a boat has just started going down. There is a boat in the bottom lock but the crew have set the next 2 locks for themselves already. So as the boat that just went down is now stuck in the small pond below the top lock, we have to wait above the top lock for this boat to come all the way up. After that delay we have an easy run down the locks, and turn left at the bottom and moor on what is jokingly called visitor moorings (you can't get near the side).

 

So that is it for the day, but we are back underway!

[john6767]

Tuesday 21 August

 

First thing, the date; today is our 30^th wedding anniversary. We were away at the weekend celebrating, soother than there is a bottle of champagne to be drunk, today will be relatively normal day spent in the exotic confines of Middlewich and Northwich.

 

We intended to get off early, but in the end it was about 10 before we got off, and headed north to Barbridge Junction. It is very busy today. For some reason I was expecting the Middlewich Branch to be a wide canal, but it's not as I found at the first bridge!

 

At the first lock the pattern was set. The locks are very deep, and there is a boat ahead going down, and a small queue waiting to come up. Many of the boats that we are passing are hire boats from Middlewich bases, and for some reason the crew of one will not use the boat engine while in the lock and therefore open the paddles so slowly that it takes possibly 15min for them to ascend the lock, I hope they are not going far!

 

So far the weather is OK, not as hot as late but dry and sunny. That was not to last. At Middlewich we are in Wardle Lock, when it starts raining, and the rain, very heavy at times, continues until we get to Big Lock. Perhaps the rain does not help, but turning north at Middlewich the canal seems to takes on a rather neglected feel, and there is a lot fewer boats moving. We stop at the Big Lock pub for some late lunch (dogs allowed in the bar area).

 

It is about 5PM before we get going again and the sun is shining. Between Middlewich and Northwich the canal desperately needs dredging, but is does give it a nice river like feel, and the flashes are interesting. There are few places to moor, but as the weather is nice we decide to carry on to north of Northwich. At Northwich the chemical works gives the area a rather desperate feel, and it is quite hard to breath as you go through the middle of the plant, not nice at all!

 

North of Marbury the surroundings are much more pleasant, and we stop for the night.