Bugsworth Basin - what a great place Day 20

We have had a great few days even though I got completely soaked on Wednesday as we made our way to Marple Junction where we turned right onto the Upper Peak Forest Canal into Whaley Bridge for Tesco and then round into Bugsworth Basin. Even on a wet and cold day it is something else as you approach the bridges leading to the basins, which are surrounded by the hills of the Peak District. It is amazing that all this Industrial Archaeology (it enjoys Ancient Monument Status) has survived and that you can clearly get an impression of how busy this site would have been.The leaflet produced by The Inland Waterways Protection Society and available at the service building is very informative and well worth a donation to their funds.

 

Our friends Jeff and Sylvia joined us again on Thursday to enjoy the atmosphere of the place and as we cruised around the various basins - Jeff and I pretended we had gone back 150 years to its heyday. The other icing on the cake during our visit on Thursday was the sighting of the RAF Lancaster flying around as it performed its flypast over Derwent Water-its such an iconic aircraft-unfortunately no camera to hand we just enjoyed the sight and sound of the Merlins. We then had lunch in The Navigation Inn which was very good. Its a 2 1/2 hour journey from Marple Junction

along the 518ft contour into the Derbyshire Hills and is well worth the effort and should not be missed.

 

I still cannot get the pictures to load in the correct order- my apologies as todays are first-sorryyyyy

 

 

 

The view from the side hatch today just past bridge 25 near Bollington

There are some very impressive mills- this is Goyt Mill on the Macclesfield Canal

The Sweet Factory- remember swizzles and Love Hearts-the smell was excellent

This gave me an idea to change the name of BB to 7mmNG but Anne said a very quick definite NO

A view from the Upper Peak Forest Canal of the hills and one of the many railway viaducts

The entry into Bugsworth Basin- the one straight ahead is quieter as the A6 runs on the right hand side of the site

A view of the left hand basin from the foot bridge we are 3rd boat on the right

Going back in time as we cruise round the other basins

Returning from the lower basin

narrowboat gnomes on a boat moored in the basin

An Elizabethan deer tower near Hawk Green on the Macclesfield Canal

A view of the Macclesfield Canal Company's warehouse just before the junction with The Upper Peak Forest Canal



Looking at Marple Junction- the Macclesfield comes in under the bridge on the left and the Marple locks are straight ahead.

This is Oldknow's ware house which is above lock 9 of the Marple flight-now offices

 

Marple lock 9 beams are nearly on the pavement

As Marple locks descend from the junction they are in a lovely setting with a line of terrace houses following them down 

The Upper Peak Forest Canal entry into Whaley Bridge is a bit disappointing but the transfer warehouse with the Cromford & High Peak Railway is most impressive

A boat that obviously somebody loves

Through Congleton and now at Bollington

Today Monday 13th is day16 of our trip and we have covered 117 miles and 53 locks - the weather has been cold, sunny and wet just like April.

 

We are tonight moored on the Bollington embankment near the aqueduct and Clarence Mill. The town is a gem on the edge of The Peak District and is a must if you are in the area. We walked into town and had a lovely lunch in The Livesey's Deli in the High Street, it has been voted Cheshire's Deli of the year 2013 and a great coffee house. 

 

We tried to stop in Macclesfield but the visitor moorings were very few and the one we tried to moor at was very shallow and had a ridge below the water so we gave up. We did though go into Congleton which had  more accessible visitor moorings and is well worth the walk down the hill into town. Lunch that day with Stan and Sheila was at Illuccini's Café Bar which was excellent.

 

Blogger has changed the format for uploading pictures which is causing me problems and therefore apologies as these are in more of a random order than I would have liked.

 

 

The Macclesfield Canal has left the T&M which has dropped down 2 locks( the red canal) and is now below the Macc which crosses it on Poole Lock Aqueduct. We are moored on the left.

 

A very impressive property near Congleton

BB approaching one of the snake bridges near Congleton. There is something very simplistic about their design it enabled the working horses to continue to tow the butty whilst the towpath changes sides to avoid a warehouse without detaching the tow rope

Anne attending to Hall Green Lock -the first on the Macc and all of a 1ft rise.

Outside Crossley Hall it could be a cow on holiday from Milton Keynes

Our mooring last  Saturday evening was at the bottom of Bosley locks

Climbing the 12 Bosley locks which are in the most glorious of scenery and are a pleasure to do. In the distance is The Cloud at 1126ft high.

Our mooring tonight Monday in Bollington near Clarence Mill

The old Hovis Mill in Macclesfield

The Market Square Bollington

The very impressive embankment and the Bollington Aqueduct from the road leading into town

The impressive Adelphi Mill Bollington

Through Etruria and Hardings Wood Junction now on the Macclesfield Canal

A few very pleasant and busy days since we left Great Haywood. Sheila and Stan on nb Friendship,

 friends we met last year on our trip into Birmingham finally caught us up at Stone. We have been cruising and having some very sociable evenings with them until yesterday when they left to continue their cruise schedule to get to Liverpool by the 22 May. We are on a slower journey as we want to enjoy the Macclesfield Canal and in particular its lovely scenery.

 

I have been a bit lapse with the postings due in part to no signal but when I have been on line its been very slow. Hopefully it will get better.

 

Canal boating is usually non eventful but last Thursday our first cruising day with Sheila and Stan proved otherwise:-

 

1. We couldn't remove the anti vandal security handcuff from Trentham Lock. A CRT linesman arrived within minutes of this discovery and with the aid of a borrowed hammer managed to release it.

 

2.Sheila's knot released itself while we all watched the CRT man and nb Friendship drifted into the middle of the canal. One of the four boats following us went to her rescue.

 

3.Near bridge 43 we collected a large fleece around the prop.

 

4. Anne was steering the boat through Harecastle tunnel and was doing really well until she hit her head on the low part of the roof ( she is fine no damage) at this point the boat hit the side and removed some of the 300 year old brick and damaged the top of the cabin side. I did a similar thing last time we came through so its Tunnel 2 Us 0.

 

 

 

Arriving at Harecatle Tunnel south portal. The original Brindley one is on the left the newer Telford one is straight ahead.

Satellite dish with a happy attitude

Hardings Wood Junction, Macclesfield Canal turn left T&M to Middlewich straight on

Sheila reclaiming her run away below Trentham Lock

Dolphin Marine in Stoke on Trent- line dancing can be a bit tricky on a narrowboat

Etruria Junction- the Caldon Canal is on the left and we have come up the T&M on the right

Our exit at last from the tunnel from hell!- note the red coloured water which is caused by ironstone

 

Great Haywood and onto Sandon

A lovely few days with some great boating weather and a chance to meet up with some very old friends Jeff and Sylvia who I have know for 50 years! We arrived in Great Haywood on Sunday and stayed in Great Haywood marina until this morning. We are now moored out in the countryside just past bridge 84 where I managed to give BB some TLC at last. Although when we were in Braunston recently we did speak to a boat painter about having her repainted next year-we await his quote.

 

 

 

Although there are very few rape fields in flower this year one thing we have noticed are the amount of dandelion's around. We saw this field full of them this afternoon.

Looking back down the narrows at Armitage  where a tunnel had been removed

That is some climb in these multi level gardens just as we leave Rugeley 

Some serious decking on the approach to Little Haywood's Colwich Lock

 

Another junction this time Great Haywood with the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal joining the Trent & Mersey

A lovely wooden river cruiser came past .

After we had moored tonight we were given a great aerial display including the very distinct calling of this Lapwing



Bridge 82 as you approach Sandon is built of brick and stone and reflects the craftsmanship of the Victorians

Our mooring tonight past bridge 84

Bank Holiday Sunday and a large queue at Great Haywood services but at least it was a lovely sunny afternoon.

Fradley junction and a windy experience Day7

The walk into the village for the paper was a bit windy with a few spots of rain. We set off at 08.30 and cruised through to Fradley going through some very heavy showers and the wind increased and was cold- aah a bank holiday weekend! Fradley is a classic junction in the middle of nowhere the only activity is the comings and goings on the canals. Today it was very busy, we just managed to get in before the swing bridge and then went for coffee(the cappuccino was excellent) and cake in the café on the site of the now closed BW carpenters workshops.

 

After refreshments we set off to find a mooring for the night. All was going well despite the wind until we had gone past Kings Bromley Wharf and emerged from the trees, we were now going across the wind. We also lost power due to something around the prop. We stopped so that I could go down the weed hatch to recover a large heavy duty plastic bag. By now the wind had blown us hard against the bank and despite many attempts plus the help of a fellow boater we could not get into the deeper water. After about 15 minutes the only solution was to reverse back about two hundred yards to the shelter of the trees and then power forward-success at last-all good fun.

 

 

 

 

There are not many moorings between Fradley and Handsacre. This is the view of our mooring tonight from bridge 56

Looking down the Fradley flight from bridge 52 with the Swan Inn on the left.

The swing bridge on the Coventry canal just before the junction. We are moored on the left getting water

We have just passed through the swing bridge and are turning left onto the Trent & Mersey Canal ( towards Great Haywood) in front of the Swan Inn. The right goes to  Shardlow on the T&M.

The bridge holes leading into the locks on the T&M don't half get smaller!

Through Fazeley junction now at Whittington Day 6

We are now well on the way to the Macclesfield canal and at the end of Day 6 we have covered 56 miles and 17 locks. It has been much colder today due to the wind with only the sun making quick short appearances. We have moored just past bridge 80 at Whittington so I can pop into the Co-Op tomorrow morning for a paper. A few more blog updates this trip as I have changed to a T Mobile dongle which is working very well and has been very easy to load and use. It was £24.99 which included 3 months use.

 

The journey today through Polesworth, Alvercote and Tamworth has been through an area which has a lot of canal heritage covering the coal industry.

 

The pictures are a little out of sequence as I couldn't get them to load properly, hopefully I can get it right next time.

 

 

Fazeley junction-the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal is under the canal bridge,with the cotton mill chimney behind

The old basin where the boats were loaded with coal from the Pooley Hall Colliery Polesworth

The trees are starting to come into bud and are already adding their colour to the countryside

An old pit head winding wheel at the Pooley Fields Heritage Centre

On the bridge wall supporting the M42 near the Pooley Hall Pit

Another twist on the boat caravan - The Little Chimney Workshop butty towed behind his home.

The superb junction house overlooking Fazeley junction