Chester Zoo Moorings to Ellesmere Port (Shropshire Union Canal)

Not such a sunny morning

We are moving on today and guess what it was spitting with rain as we left our mooring but thankfully it didn’t last for long and although it was overcast it stopped raining.

Coming into Ellesmere Port

We chugged about 4 miles today to Ellesmere Port  where there is the National Waterways Museum and you can actually moor in the lower basin of the museum.

Coming into the top lock

Coming out of the second lock

We moored up at the top and went in the museum to see if there were any spaces, they said to go and have a look, we did but it wasn’t very clear where we could moor so we decided to stay at the top in the visitor moorings which are outside the museum.

1830 Cottage

1900s Cottage

While we were tying up, a boat came up the lock from the basin and so we decided we would go down and moor in the space where they were, so we went back in and told them that’s what we wanted to do which they said was fine.

1930s Cottage

1950s Cottage

When the boat came out the top lock, we went in and there was a volunteer on today so that was good as I had help with the two locks.  Kev took the boat down the two locks and out into the basin and around past the Holiday Inn and into a mooring.  It is really nice mooring down here away from it all and you become an exhibit!

We went back up and sorted out the paperwork, you have to pay the admission charge for the museum but it lasts for twelve months and you get one nights mooring included and then any other nights are £4 which is fine as we intend to have a look around the museum anyway.

Porters Row

Bacup Cargo Barge

We had lunch and watched the Grand Prix and I am pleased to say Lewis won which was extra good as it was the British Grand Prix.

Manchester Ship Canal

We then had a walk around the museum, they have a row of cottages called Porter Cottages as years ago the porters would load and unload the ships, there are only four left and they have done them up to reflect the ages, the first one reflects the 1830s, the second the 1900s, the third the 1930s and the fourth 1950s, it was great to see how things have changed over the years.  There are also a lot of historic boats and you can go on some of them. We went on one which used to carry corn for Kellogs, it was huge, that cargo would make many breakfasts!

There is a lot to see in the museum so we saw some of it today and will see the rest tomorrow.

We then had a walk down to the Manchester Ship Canal which is the other side of the canal as it was a nice sunny warm afternoon.

We are now staying here for a couple of days.

Moored at Ellesmere Port