Northwich to Barnton Cut Visitor Moorings (River Weaver)

Work Boat going past

We spent yesterday morning in Northwich with Pat, Patrick and Poochie, we did some shopping and chilled out.  There is a swing bridge just up from where we are moored and we heard an alarm and the bridge was swung open and a big CRT Work Boat came through pushed by a tug, it was a great sight.  

Pat, Patrick & Poochie going on their way

Swing Bridge Opening

Verdin Park

Robert Verdin

We had some lunch and then in the afternoon we said goodbye to Pat, Patrick and Poochie as they were heading back up the river to go back up the lift and make their way back to their mooring which is a long way from here.  It was so lovely to see them all again and we had a great few days together with lots of laughs and quite sad to see them go but hopefully we will meet up again next year.  There are not that many moorings at Northwich so Pat and Patrick were breasted up with us and there was another boat next to them, so when they moved, the other boat which was called Bullfinch breasted up with us.

We went for a walk in the afternoon as there was a park near where we were moored and we hadn't explored that side of Northwich before so we had a walk around there. The park is called Verdin Park and in there is a statue of Robert Verdin who was a salt manufacturer and the Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament for Northwich from 1 July 1886 to 25 July 1887 and we assume the park is named after him.  It was a nice walk and a lovely sunny afternoon

Another Work Boat going by

Going under the Swing Bridge

This morning we are moving on, a mooring became free in front of us, so Bullfinch moved into that one.  Before we left Northwich, the bridge was swung again and another large work boat came through.  We have never seen the bridge swung before and now we have seen it swung two days in a row!

Back past the Anderton Lift

Coming to the Chemical Works

We had a rain shower just as we set off but we had to stop at the services so by the time we had filled up with water, the sun was out.

Heading up to Barnton Cut

We chugged on along the river and soon was going past the Anderton lift and the Chemical works which are opposite the lift.

The river was quiet with not many boats around and we went on a couple of miles and moored in the visitor moorings at Barnton Cut.  There were a couple of boats there and two of them were just leaving so we pulled down to where they had been as it was a nice sunny spot.

This is a lovely mooring really quiet.  The river and the Trent & Mersey canal run very close to each other along this stretch so tomorrow we are going to walk along the towpath and go up onto the canal and up over Barnton Tunnel to the village of Barnton where there are a few shops as we are staying here tonight and also tomorrow.

Moored at Barnton Cut

Vale Royal Moorings to Northwich via Winsford (River Weaver)

Night Time at Vale Royal

Church at Moulton

And then us!

We had a lovely few days at Vale Royal Moorings just chilling out with Pat, Patrick, Poochie, John, Sharon and Smuggler.  Sunday John and Sharon went off to Winsford and so we spent the day with Pat, Patrick and Poochie. We went for a walk in the morning up to the village of Moulton where there is a nice church and introduced Patrick to geo-caching and we found most of them so he must have been our lucky charm!  

Patrick going under the low bridge

Passing the Salt Works

In the afternoon I made scones and we had them with our home-made jam and clotted cream, yummy.  John and Sharon came back to the moorings late on Sunday night and they left on Monday morning to go back up the lift.  It was lovely to see the three of them as always.

Coming into Winsford

Kev and I did some more geo-caching and in the afternoon Pat made some lovely drop scones.  For tea I made a Lamb Curry, an Aubergine dish, Bombay Potatoes and Rice and we sat outside in the sunshine and Kev made some lovely Pimms but with Rose wine as we didn’t have any Pimms but it was very summery and refreshing.

Today, we are heading down to Winsford where the River ends at Winsford Flashes which is a lovely area but it is very shallow so you can only go so far.

into the flashes we go

Moored at Winsford

There was no sunshine as we set off today, Patrick was leading and we went around the corner and had to go under a low bridge, luckily we fitted and on we went past the Salt Works right by the canal and after a couple of miles we were coming into the flashes.

Winsford Flashes

Back out we go

All going into Vale Royal Lock

There only used to be moorings by the pub there but they have made new moorings around the corner at the start of the flashes so we went along there and turned into the moorings.  We turned around before we moored up and yes it was shallow, we got a bit stuck so we threw Patrick the centre rope and he managed to pull us over.

Back past the Salt Works

Going into Hunts Lock

We both filled up with water, then walked up to the Morrisons which is about a 10 to 15 minute walk away for a few provisions. When we got back, we untied and set off back along the way we came.  Patrick reversed out of the moorings and turned around okay and led the way.

Down we go

Lock Keeper working hard

We came back past the Salt Works and the Vale Royal Moorings where we had spent such a nice weekend and on along to Vale Royal Locks.  There was another boat behind us which was a small one so they came into the lock as well and down we all went.

Patrick went out of the lock first followed by the small boat and then us after a bit of manoeuvring  as only one gate on the lock would open so we had to get over the other side to get out, Kev did it and out we went and on along the canal to the next lock, Hunt’s Lock.

Out of Hunts Lock we go

Pat went in first, followed by the small boat and then us.  They shut the gate and the lock keeper wound up the paddle and down we went.  It doesn’t take very long and soon we were coming out the lock and going under the railway bridge, along a short distance and we came to Northwich where we moored up together.

Coming back into Northwich

We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow then moving on up the river.

Moored at Northwich

Anderton to Vale Royal (River Weaver)

Saturday 26th August

Lovely morning on the River Weaver

Coming into Northwich

Pat & Patrick moored at Northwich

Patrick leaving Northwich

We are moving on today down to Northwich to where our friends Pat, Patrick and Poochie are, so we set off and it was a lovely sunny morning.  It is only a couple of miles to Northwich from where we were moored so we were soon there.  We stopped off at the services and then moored up alongside Pat and Patrick.

Coming into Hunt's Lock

All of us in Hunt's Lock

Pat was out shopping so we had a coffee and a chat with Patrick and Poochie, it was lovely to see them again.  Pat came back after a while and we had a lovely chat with her then Kev and I went up the shops to get a bit of shopping.  Pat and Patrick were going to wait for us and then we will go down to Vale Royal moorings together.

Convey following behind us

We went to the Lidl and also to Sainsburys and then spotted a butchers which we hadn’t seen before so we went and had a look, they are called Birtwisles and are famous for their pies so obviously we had to buy a couple and we also got a few other things.  It is a nice butchers and they were very friendly.

All in Vale Royal Locks

We got back to the boat and our other friends John, Sharon and Smuggler were also down here on the Weaver and were moored up nearby. We chatted to them and they were also coming to Vale Royal.

We set off along the canal to Hunt’s lock, the locks here are big river locks and are manned so easy to do.  We had to wait for a couple of boats to come down and then it was our turn, we went in first followed by Patrick and John bringing up the rear.  We all tied up together and up we went.

Vale Royal Locks

John now leading

The lock keepers were very friendly and only one top gate would open so we went out first and led the convey along the canal for a couple of miles and then we came to Vale Royal Locks.

This one was ready for us, so we went in followed by the other two boats and up we went.

Sitting in the sun

Cormorant drying his wings

Poochie playing with her ball

We were soon through the lock and this time John went out first followed by Patrick and us bringing up the rear.  We chugged on to the visitor moorings which are not far from the lock and was surprised to see that there was no boats there as it is a really lovely spot and usually very popular.  This mooring is opposite a weir and the Cormorants often come and sit there and dry their wings.

We all moored up and then it was time for a cup of tea.  On the way down, I had made Barabrith (sort of fruit loaf) and so we all had that sat in the sun.

It was a beautiful sunny warm afternoon and evening so we sat outside having drinks and I made Lasagne for tea so we had that as well and had a lovely time chatting, eating and drinking. 

We are staying here for a couple of days just chilling out and doing a few caches as there are quite a few in this area.

Moored at Vale Royal

Marston (Trent & Mersey Canal) to Anderton (River Weaver)

We are moving on today to Anderton and hopefully going down the lift onto the River Weaver.

We set off along the canal and stopped at the services to fill up with water, get rid of rubbish, etc., and then we went on around the corner and moored in the visitor moorings before the lift.

Moored at Anderton before going down lift

And in we go!

We walked down to the office to see what time we could go down the lift and she said we could either go in five minutes or have the next slot which was 12.10pm so we said we would go then.

Sharing the lift

View from the top

We walked back to the boat and half an hour before our slot, we moved up the canal onto the moorings just outside the lift.  The CRT chap came along and told us what would be happening.  There was another boat going down with us and we would be going in first.

Down we go

Passing the other tank

The Anderton Lift is an amazing and enormous piece of machine built in 1875 by Leader Williams (later engineer of the Manchester Ship Canal) to connect the Trent & Mersey canal to the River Weaver 50ft below.  As built, the lift consisted of two water-filled tanks counterbalancing each other in a vertical slide, resting on massive hydraulic rams.  It worked on the very straightforward principle that making the ascending tank slightly lighter -  by pumping a little water out – would assist the hydraulic rams (which were operated by a steam engine and pump) in moving both tanks, with boats in them, up or down their respective slide.

Nearly Down

And out we go

Industrial plant up ahead

In 1908, the lift had to have major repairs, so it was modernised at the same time.  The troublesome hydraulic rams were done away with; from then on each tank which contained 250 tons of water had its own counterweights and was independent of the other tank.  Electricity replaced steam as the motive power. 

Anderton Lift

It is an amazing structure and we were excited to be going on it again.  You go into the first bit and then they raise the gate to the tank and you both go in together, they lower the gate and then down you go.  It takes about 9 minutes to go down. The views are amazing from the top and as you descend.

Lovely view of Anderton Lift from River

We got to the bottom and waited for the gate to be lifted and then out we went onto the River Weaver.  We moored in the new visitor moorings just up from the lift, these weren’t here when we last came three years ago.  The River Weaver is lovely and we are really looking forward to spending some days here exploring again.

We are staying here tonight and then tomorrow we will chug down to Northwich and stop off there for some shopping and then make our way through two locks to Vale Royal Moorings where we are going to meet our friends Pat, Patrick and Poochie who are also down here on the River Weaver, we haven’t seen them for a couple of years so it will be lovely to meet up again.

Moored by the Anderton Lift