Christleton to Chester (Shropshire Union Canal)

Nice reflection at Christleton

Sharing Christleton Lock

We are on the move today and guess what, it was raining when we woke up.  It brightened up a bit and the rain stopped so we set off along the canal and stopped at the water point first to fill up.  Just as we were finishing and ready to set off, a boat came under the bridge which was good as the five locks down to Chester are double locks so its easier if you share with another boat.

Out we come

There was three adults and two young people in their 20s on there so I thought great we will get lots of help, how wrong was I.  Only the lady got off and me and we did the first two locks and she struggled greatly with the gates, they are really heavy.  Also when her husband brought the boat into the side before each lock, instead of him getting off and holding the rope, they had to tie it up each time, not sure why and he let his wife do it all and one time she nearly came a cropper when she jumped off and only just made the side! I said to the lady aren’t they going to help and she said well they are having a bacon sandwich, I said to her, well he is lucky he is on your boat not mine as he would be out helping with the locks before he got this breakfast, she just laughed!

Passing row of nice cottages

Going down

We had to fill most of the locks but it was okay and we worked our way through.  Eventually her son came and helped at one lock but then went back to the boat and left his mum to it.  We thought it was awful as she was really struggling and the rest of them were just watching her. 

Filling up the last lock

At the last lock

They stopped before the last lock as they needed to fill up with water so we did the last lock on our own and it had been dry but started to rain, it could have waited another half an hour and we would have been moored up.  I must say it seemed so much quicker on our own without them messing about each time.  It was a share boat called Otter and this was only the second time they had been out on it so I think they were all a bit nervous of what to do.

We chugged on under a couple of bridges and moored up in the visitor mooring before Bridge 123E and the winding hole.

Coming into wet Chester

While we were having lunch, it poured down. Then eased off, so we went out for a wander around the shops.  We walked the rows which is shops above shops and was dry up there so that was nice and we stopped at one of the cafes for a coffee.

We then walked back to the boat and got very wet as it was raining really hard.

We are staying here until Friday.  Tomorrow we are off to York by train to meet my Nephew Ashley, his girlfriend Katie, my great nephew Finley and my great niece Isabel who is only four months old and I haven’t met yet so really looking forward to seeing them all.  Lets hope the sun is shining!

Moored in Chester