Saturday lunch in Nantwich

When we arrived yesterday the boater ahead got out of his boat and walked back to tell us he considered it too windy for him to cruise.  OK, the breeze was rustling the leaves.  But too windy to boat.  I think he likes his mooring on the embankment.  Today we have passing light showers so I guess it’s too wet to move!

Here we are on the embankment on the end of the 48 hour moorings just past the aqueduct.

The aqueduct is currently being renovated and the towpath has been closed.  Consequentially it’s a rather quiet spot.  Last time we were this way I photographed the aqueduct and mentioned the small shrubs growing out of the brickwork in the arch and abutments.  The roots were starting to cause cracks.  No doubt this will be rectified as part of the refurbishment.
This morning I gave the Refleks stove burning chamber a thorough clean using the circular wire brush on the end of the electric drill.  It probably didn’t need a clean but with the onset of colder weather it seemed an opportune time.  Meanwhile Jan started a load of laundry knowing we will be topping up the water tank tomorrow.  The inside of the saloon now looks like a Chinese laundry with all our smalls hanging from the rails under the gunwales.
We have an appointment above Hurleston Locks tomorrow so the weekly lunch was moved to today.  The chosen location was The Cheshire Cat on Welsh Row.  Jan chose the chicken and ham pie whilst I opted for the steak and ale.  Both pies were hand made and the meal was delicious.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself just to remind me how lucky she is to have such a considerate husband. 
The Cheshire Cat wasn’t always a pub. It started as a row of Almshouses for widows.  To quote wikipedia.
The almshouses were founded by Roger Wilbraham in 1676–7 in memory of his deceased wife in three existing cottages built in 1637; they were the earliest almshouses in the town for women. In 1705, Wilbraham also founded the Old Maids' Almshouse for two old maids in a separate building (now demolished) on Welsh Row. They remained in use as almshouses until the 1930s. The timber-framed Widows' Almshouses building, which is grade II listed.
We ate inside the glass conservatory which has been added to the rear.  From this position you can see the framework of the renovated rear wall.

I noted how the framework for the wattle & daub had been inserted into the lower half panelling of the upper floor.  You don’t see wattle & daub in NZ.
We wandered off to Aldi for a few essentials and then returned using a circular route which took us to one of the local butchers.  Along the way we passed Sweet Briar Hall on Hospital Street.

Nantwich has many of these Tudor style buildings and the only reason why I noticed this one was the plaque above the lower window.  It’s a mansion built for the Wilbraham family some time in the 15th century.  It’s the oldest building in the town that has not subsequently had brick infill to the panels. Hospital St used to be on the main London to Chester road so Sweet Briar Hall would have been well known back then. It’s Grade II listed. More information on wikipedia here.
This post is early because one of us will be writhing on the bed at 4pm playing the 16th man in the All Black team.

5.55pm   YES!   Final here we come..............

Grey Day

After punching out ZZZZs and examining the inside of my eyelids for the previous 8.5 hours I glanced out the bedroom porthole and thought there was a heavy mist.  After rubbing my eyes and taking a second look I realised it was the very grey sky.  I guess you can’t expect every day to be bright and sunny.  Jan had already been up for a couple of hours and was sitting in her captain’s chair wrapped in a dressing gown.  Obviously the diesel stove needed lighting.  Usually it can be ignited with a fingernail sized piece of firelighter.  This time it went out twice before finally deciding to do it’s job.  Perhaps it’s the three year old diesel or more likely a cleaning is overdue.
The boat moored behind us departed at 7.30am .  On the tiller arm a large pale blue flag with a white flower was flying.  I said to Jan “They a flying the flag of Devon!”  Jan said “No dear, that’s the flag of Yorkshire!”  Of course I knew that….. I was just testing her!  We went down the last lock before Audlem Village.  It has a fierce bywash below the lower lock gates.  It’s more of a problem going up than down and today I just applied 1500rpm to rocket through the stream. 
We moored outside the Shroppie Fly so I could top up the water tank and remove the leaves from the cabin roof.  Jan went off to the nearby Audlem Mill where she browsed and browsed before buying a canal scene tapestry.

Audlem Mill
The mill is rather new having been built in 1915.  It replaced the old Audlem Mill which closed in 1916.  The mill was designed and built to supply animal feed.  It was larger and more efficient than other local mills and also had the advantage of being close to the canal.  The mill was powered by an oil fired engine located a single storey building  behind the main mill.  This building is now used by CRT.  The mill ceased working in the 1960’s and after being sold the upper floor was converted into a dwelling and the lower two floors into a shop and art gallery.
Once the purse had been emptied and the tank filled we headed further north. 
 Looking back to Audlem with the crane outside the Shroppie Fly to the left of the canal
It didn’t take long to complete the final three locks in the Audlem flight and shortly thereafter we were passing Overwater Marina on the left. Slightly more surprising was the sight of that boat with the Yorkshire flag moored opposite. A very short cruise for them today!
The Shroppie is mostly long straights and it wasn’t long before we reached that place so secret it has a noticeboard.

The very secret bunker at Hack Green.  The sky might have been grey but something was smiling on us because we met a boat coming up at each of the two Hack Green Locks.  There is a new subdivision on the southern approach to Nantwich.  These building are opposite the winding hole before Marsh Lane Bridge.

Our luck held and we managed to get the first vacant spot on the 48 hour mooring immediately after the aqueduct.  We’d only just gone inside when we were bounced around by an Anglo-Woosh hire boat making smoke to mask its manoeuvres.
 cough cough
Car 2 is confirmed as a Daimler and I need to correct my information on Car 1.  I incorrectly reported it as an Austin whereas reader Bill had identified it as a 1949 Morris 8.

To Audlem

It was a 9am departure this morning as we waited for the rain to stop.  A brief stop at the Market Drayton water point to top up the tank and dispose of the rubbish.  Then it was a steady cruise north with frequent bursts of reverse to clear the prop of leaves.  At this time of year they get attracted to the blades and build up to the point where the boat struggles to make headway.  A burst of reverse flicks them off.  The problem is particularly prevalent at the entrance and exit to locks.

Before continuing on the subject of locks I must mention that car.

Two readers think it might be a Daimler whilst one thinks it might be an Austin.  Garry thought there might be a ‘D’ on the hubcap.  I zoomed in on the original photo.

I can’t see a ‘D’.  Then I zoomed in on the figure on top of the radiator

Very blurred photo because it was taken with the small camera.

I’m no wiser?

I also need to mention the cookie banner.  Two Jan’s (mine and Jan from nb Qisma) still see the banner on their iPads.  Peter has left a comment correctly pointing out that if you accept the cookie (GOT IT option) then you won’t see the banner again, provided you don’t erase the cookies off your machine!  I regularly erase the cookies on the laptop and don’t see the banner.  It’s a mystery.  Of course I could change our IP Address to a non EU location and the banner wouldn’t appear on any machine looking at the blog.

Back to boating.  We reached Adderley Locks (5) to find the farm stall empty.  The CCTV sign says it all.  Obviously some dishonest people have been helping themselves to the stock without paying and it appears the stall holder has given up. 

A similar situation appears to exist at the top of the Audlem Flight.

Jan was working Waiouru down the top lock when I noticed a boater at the second lock.  A familiar walk, pink top and coffee mug in hand.  It had to be Judith from nb Serena. 

John was out of sight down in the lock.  Eventually he appeared and we had one of those fleeting conversations as we passed in the pound.

 

 

Meanwhile Judith and Jan managed to catch up on events since our last meeting at the beginning of summer.

John and Judith are travelling south towards their winter mooring whilst we are heading for the Llangollen Canal.

We passed three more boats coming up the flight arriving at Audlem around 2pm.  In the early evening I went for a local walk.  I only took the phone so the photos are not that good. Not that I’m claiming I ever take good photos.

The former lock keepers cottage at Lock 13 is getting a makeover.

The ‘Shroppie Fly’ is again open for business

Got to go this way tomorrow morning to visit the local butcher.

Cookie Banner and the Mifi

After some correspondence with our youngest son he has advised us he no longer sees the cookie banner at the top of our blog.  If you are in Europe you have almost certainly seen this banner.

I hate it!  The damned thing clogs up the top of the blog and I’ve been working on the blog html code to remove it.  Our son informs us it has now gone, so hopefully no one else can see it? I’m probably breaking EU law by removing it; but by next year EU law may not be applicable in the UK.

The second solved problem is the T-Mobile mifi dongle purchased from eBay.  The seller didn’t advertise it as being locked to the T-Mobile network and I’ve been working out how to unlock it so it will work with our ID (Carphone Warehouse) SIM card.  I must mention the comment from blog reader Dave who kindly did some research and sent me three separate links on how to unlock the mifi.  One of these options produced the required file which was supposed to include the unlock code number.  Unfortunately the number wasn’t present.  Still, I’m grateful to Dave for going to the effort. 

After much gnashing and grinding of my teeth along with pulling out clumps of fast disappearing hair I begrudgingly paid eBay 99p for the code.  It arrived by email within a hour of placing the order.  The seller actually provided three unlock codes.  The first was invalid <onset of panic at the thought of wasting 99p> however to my immense relief the second number successfully unlocked the device.  I then had to work on changing the device access pin and name.  Once that was resolved the mifi was connected to the external aerial.

Maximum signal strength and on the 3UK network.  We’re actually getting a stronger signal than the previous Zoom wifi router and usb dongle.  The latter is now the backup system.  Total cost for the new system was £10.99.

Good Weather

What a great day to be boating without a breeze, some long periods of autumn sunshine and fantastic scenery.

Departing Gosnall Heath just after 9am we headed north towards Norbury Junction.  It was going to be a longer cruise than yesterday because we didn’t want a planned stop at Norbury.  It’s not that the people there are unfriendly but rather the 3 mobile coverage is very poor.

Norbury Wharf

High Bridge is the next bridge after Norbury Junction and the almost unique double arch and telegraph pole frequently gets photographed by passing boaters.  We were not the exception!

Slightly further on is a small collection of boats moored on the offside. There’s nothing particularly unusual about the boats, however the vehicles are a different matter.  Jan thinks this next car looks like a similiar model as that driven by James Herriot in the television series “All Creatures Great and Small”.

Whilst I thought the other vehicle under the lean-to shed might have a winged lady on the radiator?

Probably not!

There is a small wharf in a winding hole just after Bridge 44.  Initially I thought it was a boatyard but then realised the sign on one of the boats was advertising cratch covers.

Around the bend and halfway down the straight is the old wharf where chocolate crumble was loaded for shipping to Cadbury’s Bourneville on the other side of Birmingham.

Looking in the opposite direct it was possible to see the major feature which tends to follow the boater along this part of the Shroppie.

It’s the Wrekin (Ree-Kin).  The hill rises some 400 metres above the Shropshire plain and can be see for miles in all directions.  I could see it when walking along the top of Kinver Edge.

We were following a distant boat which appeared to be hovering at a bridge hole.  Then we realised a boat was coming from the opposite direction.  Upon closing up with the boat ahead we discovered there were two boats coming from the opposite direction and they were actually exiting  Woodseaves Cutting.  Woodseaves is over a mile long and more than 70ft deep through very solid rock.  Because the rock was so hard the canal builders made the cutting rather narrow. 

Waiting for the 2nd boat

We followed behind the lead boat only to discover a further three boats coming towards us.  We’d been cruising for four hours and scarcely seen a boat, yet when we reached the narrows we meet five!

Boat Four

Shortly thereafter we reached Tyrley Locks (5) where we met a boat coming up at each lock.  Jan managed to take a photo of some of our favourite tree people in the pound immediately below the bottom lock.

After seeing so many boats close to Market Drayton we were starting to wonder if there would be a vacant mooring.  Fortunately our fears were unfounded.  The weather forecast for tomorrow is rain and if that occurs it will be a rest day.

Cross-eyed fish

There were cross-eyed fish swimming upside down and in circles beside the side hatch last night.  Two weeks ago we sampled the cherry gin we’d made and it tasted like vinegar.  Sugar was added to sweeten it but upon a second sampling yesterday evening it had acquired the flavour of cough medicine.  Out the side hatch it went!

This morning I walked back the way we had come and took a photo of Wheaton Ashton Lock and the scene north.

We are finding there are plenty of vacant moorings now that the fair weather boaters have headed to Spain for the winter.  It was only a short move to Turner’s Garage where we took on 331 litres of diesel at 54.9ppl + tax.  The attendant was very chatty and wanted to discuss the rugby.  He had no concerns about England being knocked out telling us they simply weren’t good enough.  He had more sympathy for Wales and Scotland.

It was a still and mild autumn morning which made the cruise through the countryside at 1000rpm all the more pleasant.  We’re not in a hurry and plan to cruise an average of 3 hours daily.

Upon rounding a bend we found our first boat of the day coming towards us. It was  Pam & Terry on nb The Roosters Rest.  It was one of those brief passing conversations.  Pam inquired about Jaq (nb Valerie) and then they were on their way.

For some reason my memory of this stretch of canal in 2003 was of long straights with open countryside.  Now there are shrubs and trees.  Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me.

Jan is very taken with this house and would make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  But only if she wins lotto.

At Little Onn a CRT License Checker was walking south along the towpath.  We had our number taken (good) and he gave us a wave before continuing on.

All too soon we were at Cowley Tunnel.  The southern portal gives the impression it is lined, but once inside you realise it has been cut through solid rock.  Pick marks can bee seen on the surface.

We could have carried on to Norbury Junction but know from experience the internet coverage there is ‘patchy’.  Consequentially we stopped and moored at Gosnall Heath.  There was only one boat on the 48 hour moorings when we arrived and they left within an hour.  We have all the moorings to ourselves.  What a contrast with our previous visit during the height of summer in 2014.  The only negative is the number of boaters who don’t slow when passing.

“They will talk to me!”

Jan was determined that each fisherman would make eye contact and exchange a few words.  Even if it means taking their attention away from the competition.  And she succeeded!

It was a noisy night moored at the top of the Wolverhampton 21.  Most of the noise was brake squeal from the passing rolling stock.  After that any thought of staying longer had disappeared by morning.  It took us 4½ hours to descend the 21 locks.  We passed one boat coming up  and most of the locks were in our favour.

At Lock 5 we were reminded of the subterranean access pointed out by Paul Balmer (nb Waterway Routes) during our ascent last year.

The four black posts with the white tops in the centre/left of the above photo form a three sided guard rail around a set of steps down to the canal by the bottom gates of the lock.  This next photo shows the exit beside the gates.

 

The majority of the flight is a linear park.

Halfway down the flight we came upon three youths (1 male, 2 female) under a brick arched bridge huddled under an open umbrella.  One female stuck her head out from under the umbrella to say “Sorry Darling” as I attempted to squeeze past.  She had ginger hair, blotched complexion, a throaty voice and was a scrawny as an Indonesian village chicken.  Small plastic bags were being exchanged and they were smoking something that wasn’t tobacco.

As one ascends or descends a flight of locks you can wistfully look at the railway and ask yourself “Oh, wouldn’t it have been nice if the canal company had the money to build an aqueduct.

At the bottom lock we decided to remove the various urban jellyfish from the propeller.  They have been there for the last two days and I hate the feel of the tiller when it’s fouled.  I managed to cut the remains of five thick plastic bags away using the bread knife.  The serrated edge makes short work of them.  Another benefit is the tang it subsequently gives to the bread. 

Waiouru then positively bounded along to the stop lock at Autherley Junction.

According to the History Website the Canal House is very typical of those found on the Shroppie.

Whilst researching the Canal House I discovered that at one point the Birmingham and Liverpool Canal Company (ie, the Shroppie) and the BCN considered building a aqueduct directly from one canal to the other eliminating the need to use the Staffs & Worcs Canal.  They did this because the Staffs & Worcs Co lost much of their revenue from Addersley Junction at the base of the Wolverhampton 21 to Great Haywood as boats were going to turn off at Autherley Junction.  In anticipation of the lost revenue the Staffs & Worcs Co then raised their rates astronomically. So the BCN and B&L companies considered cutting them out.  Once the Staffs & Worcs realised the other two companies were serious they lowered their rates and accepted the loss of revenue.

I never cease to find Avenue Bridge attractive.  However there was not time to stop for another walk of the area.

Obviously the summer cruising season is over.  Usually vacant moorings at Brewood are as scarce as rocking horse droppings.  Today there was only one boat!

We then passed Richard on nb Pendle Warter moored opposite Countrywide Cruisers hire base.  No sign of Sadie (his dog).  Probably sensibly inside in the warm!  We first met Richard at the Black Country Museum in June last year.

Shortly thereafter we crossed Stretton Aqueduct where you can watch everyone below doing more than 4 miles per hour.

We pushed on finally reaching Wheaton Ashton at 4.30pm where we topped up the water tank and found ourselves a good mooring with both the ‘dot’ and DTV signals.  Dinner was light because we were both rather bushed!  However I did manage to splice a snapped fender line and check the weed hatch.

Looks like the rugby semi-finals will be a southern hemisphere affair.  Although I do feel sorry for Scotland who might have some justification in feeling they were cheated of a place.  The All Blacks got carried away playing France and displayed their real potential.