Should we stay or should we go?

July 16^th; Winsford Top Flash to Paddy’s Wood, Trent and Mersey canal

What a beautiful morning to get up to!  We were on our way by 9.30 and had a lovely run in the sunshine to Stanthorne lock. 

Rosebay willow-herb

Stanthorne lock is notorious for delays.  One boat was going in at the top as we arrived, so we hoped we would quickly be down too.  But we weren’t.  The paddles in the bottom gates can only be raised a short way, not really sure why but it takes ages to empty it.  Then the single-hander coming up was very slow and deliberate, as was his right but the chap behind him was huffing and puffing about it, because he knew he would be behind him all the way to Barbridge junction.  We moored up before Wardle lock so I could go shopping and Dave could give Jess a good walk.

Middlewich garden.  I wonder if the boats are named after departed pets

It’s a 15 – 20 minute walk up to Morrisons, and further to everywhere else.  The best mooring for shopping is below the Big Lock but we weren’t going that way.  At least we'd topped up the essentials.  The forecast for the afternoon was not very good, getting much wetter later on, so should we move on after lunch or not?  It was already raining lightly, but then it stopped so off we went.  Maureen’s cottage by Wardle lock is looking very run-down, but the lights were on indoors.  Dave brought Bonjour round onto the Trent and Mersey while I walked round to set King’s lock.  Sadly a boat had just arrived from the Middlewich locks, and we were behind them all the way so I had to turn every lock.  Although we haven’t cruised this way for many years, there was a lot we have remembered – most of the Middlewich Branch, and at least the start of this part of the T&M.  The salt works is still there, but I seem to remember there used to be more than one.

Piles of road salt in the background

Not sure what goes on here, but I bet corrosion is a problem with all that salt

The rain came and went all the way from Middlewich, and all the way where the canal runs alongside the busy A533.  The building of a large housing estate appears to be starting behind the place that has been a pub, an Indian restaurant and a pub again, but it looked closed now. 

Dave remembered these chimneys, but I didn’t

Eventually the noisy road veered away from the canal between the top two Booth Lane locks, which was a relief.  The rain kept coming and going, but we were getting very close to the time it was supposed to get heavy and continuous.

True

There are two decent moorings marked at Paddy’s Wood on Waterway Routes, but we didn’t fancy the first – although there were rings, the towpath edge was the unpleasant in-and-out style.

Not a nice edge for mooring

So we went on round the bend to the armco stretch, where we finished tying up just as the rain really got going.  We would have preferred to be in Wheelock so we could eat at the Italian place, but we weren't so keen we wanted to cruise another mile in the pouring rain.  It rained all evening and whenever I woke during the night too.

8 miles, 7 locks