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