Monday, April 09, 2007

An unusually fine Easter weekend! Pretty busy with boats up and down the canal. We stayed put, not wanting to add to the congestion. Spent the time running, walking Meg, and pottering about on the boat.

Mow Cop Folly from the trig point.
And close up.
Ramsdell Hall, just down from the mooring.
Set off today at around 09:00, trying to miss the rush. In fact there seemed to be less activity today. Through Congleton just after 10:00, not as bad as we’d been told, in fact quite pleasant apart from a short section near the railway bridge on the north side of town.
The towpath changes sides twice in the town, using these “snake” bridges to allow the horses to cross the navigation without unhitching.

Bridge 76.

We pressed on and arrived at the bottom of the Bosley Flight not long after 12:00. We’d decided to stop for lunch, and to let Meg “ablute” before tackling the 12 locks. The decision was reinforced by the light drizzle that started to fall as we arrived. The setting for these locks is very attractive, with an aqueduct carrying the canal over the River Dane, and The Cloud looming on the horizon to the South.

We hung on for about 45 minutes but the weather showed no sign of clearing, so we decided to move on anyway. With the occasional boat coming down, most of the locks were in our favour, and we reached the top just before 16:00.

In the flight

After making use of the sanitary station and water tap just above Lock 1, we moved on for another ¼ mile and found a spot to moor at the end of the long term moorings. We're now around 500 feet above sea level.

Locks 12, miles 8½.

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