We are back in Middlewich for the weekend. Diesel is still a good price at Kings Lock Chandlery so we decided to top up. There was a slight wait whilst the engineer worked on another boater’s Webasto heater. The boat was moored on the fuel mooring.
186 litres later we dropped down through three locks to be back on our mooring of exactly one month ago.
After looking at the map I realised the end of the navigable River Weaver is only a short distance from Middlewich. You can see the relationship in the following screen dump from the Waterway Routes canal map.
Youngest son was looking for a local walk and investigating Winsford Flash seemed a good destination. I used the OSM to trace a likely route and uploaded it to the gps. We I geographically embarrassed myself a couple of times. Mostly because I was distracted talking to a walking partner. I don’t usually have a walking companion.
The plan was to avoid roads wherever possible and we mostly achieved this. The first thing I noticed on arriving at the junction of the River Weaver and the flash were the new (or rebuilt) moorings.
The River Weaver is out of sight on the other side of the far stretch of grass. The water in the middle distance is a basin with rings for mooring on both sides. There is a CRT water point behind the sign in the foreground. The flash is to the left of the photo.
Bottom Flash
Our route took us along a footpath which skirted the eastern side of the flash and then turned away where the River Weaver enters the southern end of the flash. A large static caravan park is located on the opposite bank.
After looking at the map I could see the River Weaver starts somewhere east of Whitchurch and winds it’s way close to Audlem before passing through Nantwich and then to the flash.
The route took us back to the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal where we followed the towpath to Middlewich. You may recall I mentioned the plastic fantastic moored on the lock landing above Wardle Lock here on 21 January. Well the boat is still there!
By the time we reached Waiouru both of us were cold and wet. Jan started the Hurricane to heat the water for a shower which was most welcome. I was examining the inside of my eyelids later in the afternoon when working boat Halsall passed us heading south. Jan took the photo.
4 comments :
Road diesel is 90 cents (70p) a litre here in Ruescas, Southern Spain at the moment. :-)
Are these new moorings as you leave main channel past pub on left and then to left as you enter flash.
Peter, Not muc chance of you bringing some back with your carry-on luggage. But if you are driving back I guess you will be filling the tank (and more)!
Les, We weren't sufficiently thirsty to be looking for a pub! 😁 The mooring basin has probably been there for many years but it looks like the local council have done some recent renovating. The basin is to the left of the mouth of the river. Basically you exit the river onto the flash and immediately make a 180 deg turn into the basin.
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