Cholmondeston to Church Minshull (Middlewich Branch)

Yesterday (Saturday) we stayed put and in the morning we did some jobs, Kev revarnished some of the floor to freshen it up and it looks really good now.  In the afternoon, we walked up to Aqueduct Marina, it was just under 2 miles each way along the towpath.  They have a Chandlery there so we had a look around there and then had a coffee in the café before trotting back, it was a nice walk on a lovely sunny warm afternoon.

Leaving our mooring on a sunny morning

Cholmondeston Lock

Passing Skyes Hollow

Coming to Minshull Lock

Today we are on the move so we untied and set off along the canal to Cholmondeston Lock, there was a boat in front of us and one coming up, and then it was our turn.   It is quite a deep lock but doesn’t take very long to empty so we were soon through there and moored up outside the café at Cholmondeston  Marina where we got some diesel and filled up with water.  It is a really good place and you can use the Elsan point and fill up with water for free, and they are really helpful and friendly.

We went on along the canal and passed Sykes Hollow Leisure Area where there is mooring and picnic tables and barbeques.

Minshull Lock

Out we come

We then came to Minshull Lock and a boat was coming up the lock and when it came out in we went.  We were certainly going the right way today as a lady on a boat coming up said that she had been waited to come up the lock over an hour as it was so busy!

Passing Aqueduct Marina

When we came out the lock, she was right as there was about 7 boats waiting in the queue to come up.  We went on by them and along the canal, passing Aqueduct Marina where we walked to yesterday and moored in some really nice open moorings near Church Minshull.  The views from this mooring are lovely as you look right over the valley.

River Weaver Running under the Canal

Lovely view from our Mooring

We had lunch then went out for a walk back down the towpath as there was a cache on the aqueduct which goes over the River Weaver but you can’t really see it from the canal and we didn’t even realise we were going over an aqueduct.

We found the cache and saw the River Weaver below us, then walked back to the boat.  There is a nice bench near where we are moored overlooking the valley so as it was a nice sunny warm afternoon we sat there for a while watching the world go by.

We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow and then going on a bit further.

Moored at Church Minshull