Walk to Sandbach and Wheelock (Trent and Mersey) to Middlewich ( Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union)

Market Cross

Market Hall

We stayed put yesterday and just as well as it was raining so we put on our raincoats and walked about a mile and a half to Sandbach singing in the rain as we went!

Market Square

Sandbach is a nice town with the usual array of shops and quite a lot of independent ones as well.  On Saturdays, the Market Hall is open which has a nice lots of stalls inside selling cards, crafts and food. There was a few stalls outside as well, one was a fruit and veg stall with home grown produce so we bought a few nice things.

We had a wander around the shops then stopped for a coffee to get out of the rain, but when we were inside the rain stopped, but guess what when we came out, it started again.  We called in at Waitrose then made our way back to Wheelock and the boat.  It rained most of the afternoon as well but then cleared up in the evening.   

When we got up this morning it was dry but no sun, which was lucky as we are moving on a few miles this morning and we have six locks to do.

Down and out we go

And onto the next one

We set off from our mooring and stopped at the services to get water, get rid of rubbish, etc. then off we went winding our way along the canal, past some nice open moorings at Paddys Wood, we will stop there next time as it looked so nice and then we were at our first lock for today.  There was a boat in front of us so we had to wait for them to go through and then fill the lock then it was our turn.

Waiting for lock to fill

One in, one out

These are deep locks but they empty quite quickly so we were soon on our way again and on to the next two locks which are quite close together.  

Once down them, we chugged on and went under a quite low bridge, it was okay but we had taken our aerial down just in case. Then we were at Rumps Lock.  There was a cruiser coming up and they had only just bought it and couldn’t steer it very well, so what with waiting for them and then the boat in front of us, we were at that lock for a while, but then it was our turn and down we went, there was a boat coming so we left the gates open for them and chugged on.

In Kings Lock

Coming into Middlewich

We were then approaching Middlewich where the roads runs alongside the canal and we came to Kings Lock which is right beside the Kings Lock pub.  The lock was set for us so Kev brought the boat in and then I emptied the lock and down we went.

 

We were then at the Junction with the Middlewich Branch which we turned left onto.  The first 100yds of this branch is actually the Wardle Canal, claimed to be the shortest canal in the country.  You go under the bridge and straight into Wardle Lock.  

Onto the Middlewich Branch

There was a boat going up and then one coming down, so we waited our turn and then Kev brought the boat into the lock and up we went.

In Wardle Lock

We came out of the lock and went under the bridge and then moored up in the visitor moorings.

A bit later, we went out for a walk down the canal and back up the road and then went for a coffee at the Kings Lock pub and sat by the lock for a bit and watched a couple of boats go through.

We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow so we can do some shopping then we will move off on Tuesday.

Moored at Middlewich