Moore (Bridgewater Canal) to Dutton (Trent & Mersey Canal)

The sun was actually shining as we set off today although it was a bit foggy at first, but that soon went away and it was sunny and warm for a change, no rain!

Back past Moore Village Stores

Moored at Daresbury

We went on for a couple of miles and moored at Daresbury opposite the Daresbury Science Park and walked up into Daresbury, the birth place of Lewis Carroll.

There is a really nice church and inside the church they have a Lewis Carroll information centre which tells you all about him and his family.  

Moore Village Sign

Info Board

His father was the Parson of the Church at Daresbury and was concerned about the canal workers on the Bridgewater Canal and he converted a barge  into a floating chapel, moored at Preston Brook and held weekly services there as the bargees  were seen not fit to go to the church.  They had a big bell on the front of the boat and rang this to bring the canal folk to the boat for worship.

Bell from Barge

Another Info Board

All Saints Church Daresbury

Lewis Carroll’s real name was Revd Charles Lutwidge Dodgson known in the village of Daresbury as Charlie Dodgson.    He was ordained as a Deacon but he never preached.  He lived in Daresbury for the first 11 years of his life, from 1832 to 1843.  He became the famous writer of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass when he was a lecturer at Oxford University.

Lewis Carroll Window

It is a really interesting place and the church is really nice as well.  In the Daniell Chapel above the small altar is the memorial window to Lewis Carroll, put in to commemorate the hundred years of his birth here in 1932.  The window was designed by Geoffrey Webb.  The entire window has some significance to Lewis Carroll’s life and Lewis Carroll and Alice can be seen on the left hand side and along the bottom are many of the characters from Alice in Wonderland.

It is a nice village as well and there is a pub and a tea room although neither of them were open.

Horses have their own crossing!

Preston Brook Tunnel

We walked back to the canal and we had to cross a big road which had two pedestrian crossings, one for people and one for horses, we went across the horse one as that was nearer to us but we made sure we cantered across!

We then chugged on, went past the Runcorn Branch and stopped at Midland Chandlers for a few things.  We then went on and came to Preston Brook Tunnel.

It's dark in here

The tunnel is on a timed access and we arrived at the right time for us to go through, so into the darkness we went and after about 15 minutes we were coming out into the sunlight.

Out we come

In Dutton Stop Lock

Just after the tunnel is Dutton Stop lock and there was a boat just coming through so they came out and we went in, it is only a few inches deep so doesn’t take long to get through and another boat was waiting to come in so we left the gates open and went on our way.

Railway Viaduct in the distance

We went on for a couple of miles and moored up  in the nice moorings with a lovely view overlooking the valley with the Dutton Viaduct in the distance and where we moored on the way up.

We are staying here tonight then off again in the morning.

Moored at Dutton