Between Locks 3 and 2 to Adderley below Locks - Shropshire Union Canal

 

Tuesday 27^th to Friday 30^th October

We spent a couple of days moored near the top of the Audlem flight.  Wednesday we visited Sheila and Tony one more time and had a good old chat and laugh as always and then me, Kev, Jane and Harry went for lunch again at the Shroppie Fly and I am pleased to say that the food was really good again and we had a nice few hours eating, chatting and drinking gin!

We called into the Coop to get a few supplies and then made our way back up the flight and luckily in the dry.  Thursday the weather wasn’t good so we just stayed in.

  

Today (Friday) we are on the move and finally leaving Audlem behind us.  We have loved spending time here with our Audlem family and are sad to be going but it is time to move on and we will see Sheila, Tony, Jane, Malcolm and Harry over the Winter as we are never that far away so we will look forward to that.

We left our mooring and was glad that although it was overcast it was dry and headed to the lock.  We have two locks to do and then we will be at the top of the Audlem flight.

 The lock was empty so I opened the gates and Kev came in.  These locks aren’t very deep so don’t take long to fill.

  

A boat was coming out the last lock so we left the gates open for them and I walked up to the lock and Kev went in with the boat.

I shut the gates and filled the lock.  A boat came along as we were going up the lock so we could leave the gate open for them.

  

There is a stall at this lock selling cakes, drinks and ice creams but it was empty today which was a pity as the cakes are lovely and on our way down there was even homemade bread there which was really good.

We went on our way along the canal, under a few bridges and then we were approaching the bottom of Adderley locks where we moored up in the visitor moorings.  There was only one boat there so plenty of room for us.

    

 We are staying here for a couple of days as the forecast for tomorrow is not good but hopefully Sunday will be better and we can chug on to Market Drayton.

Below Shroppie Fly to Between Locks 3 and 2, Audlem - Shropshire Union Canal

Saturday 10^th to Monday 26^th October

We stayed at the bottom of the locks for a week and then moved up two locks to the moorings below the Shroppie Fly pub and stayed there and did some trading and we did quite well, we sold several things and had a couple of orders so it’s going okay. 

We visited our friends Jane, Malcolm, Sheila and Tony who live in the village and had a few lunches with Jane.  We tried the Shroppie Fly which had gone downhill over the years but have new people and are really making a go of it and our food was excellent and the service was good.  We had a couple of trips out to Nantwich and Market Drayton.

      

Today (Monday 26^th) we are moving up the locks to a nice mooring spot before the last two locks for a few days before we finally leave Audlem behind us.

It had been raining earlier but eased off to just spitty rain so we decided to go.  We untied and went through one lock and moored outside the Shroppie Fly to use the services.

By the time we had filled up with water and got rid of rubbish etc., it had brightened up and the sun was trying to come out so that was a good sign.

  

    A hire boat came up the lock so we let them go past and then we set off.  I walked up to the lock and waited for the hire boat to go out then I emptied the lock ready for us.  Kev came under the bridge and into the lock.  A boat was coming down so we left the gates open for them and went on to the next lock.

The hire boat was still in the lock and they had a chap helping them.  He told me he had been employed, I think by the hire company to give them tuition, but to me he was just doing all the lock and not instructing them.  There was three of them on the boat but he seemed to leave two of them on the boat and just one helping and they were just stood watching him and it was slow going!

  The pounds in between the locks were quite low so it was good we had a boat in front as I had to empty the lock to let us in and that lock of water filled up the pound a bit so we didn’t get stuck.

We did the next lock slowly so we would pull a gap between us and the hire boat and then we could do our usual routine.  I had to empty every lock as there were no boats coming down, it was very quiet today. I opened the gates then Kev brought the boat in and got off on the steps and he closed one gate and I closed the other, it saves me having to go back and forth over the lock.

We are doing 11 locks today so we worked our way up and after a couple of hours the end was in sight and we were at lock 3, our last lock for today.

The moorings between locks 3 and 2 were almost empty do we picked a nice spot and moored up.  It’s really nice up here with lovely views.

In the afternoon we walked up to the top lock as there is a house there that has a stall by the lock selling homemade cakes but it was empty today, but I expect as the canal is very quiet now and not many boats about she doesn’t bother this time of year, pity as it’s lovely cake and shortbread and home-made bread, we will have to wait until next year.

We walked back to the boat and within a few minutes of getting back, the heavens opened and we had a hefty shower so how lucky were we, not only did we do all the locks in the dry, we managed a walk as well and didn’t get wet at all.

We are staying here for a few days now and on Wednesday we are walking back down the locks to visit Sheila, Tony and Jane one more time before we leave Audlem and then me, Kev and Jane are going to have lunch again in the Shroppie Fly to see if its as good as it was when we went last week. 

Bridge 80 to Moss Hall - Shropshire Union Canal

 

Wednesday 7^th to Friday 9th October

Wednesday we met Sheila, Tony and Jane in the cafe in the marina and had lovely food and great company as always.  Thursday we stayed at the boat and just did a few jobs.

Friday – We are on the move today just to the bottom of the Audlem locks but first we are calling into the marina to get diesel and water.

  

We left our mooring and went under Bridge 80, on a bit further and turned into the marina.

We moored up on the service pontoon and a friendly chap came and served us with diesel. Once we had paid for that, we moved the boat across the marina into one of the bays and moored up there. Each pontoon has a tap so we filled up with water and got rid of our rubbish.

When all that was done, we went into the cafe for some brunch.  It is a great café, very friendly and good food. 

  

After our brunch, we went back to the boat and chugged out of the marina and down to Moss Hall where we moored before Audlem bottom lock.  In the afternoon, we walked up to the village and called round to Janes where we had tea and cake and a good old chat.  Harry was there and he was so pleased to see us which was lovely and we had lots of cuddles with him.

We are staying at the bottom of the locks for a few days then next week we will slowly make our way up the locks stopping at the various moorings on the way, then when we get to the top we will have another couple of days moored there before we finally say goodbye to Audlem.

Coole Pilate to Bridge 80 - Shropshire Union Canal

 

Friday 2^nd to Tuesday 6^th October

We spent the weekend at Coole Pilate doing jobs and generally chilling out.  For a couple of days we were moored there on or own so nice and quiet then a couple of boats joined us.  Up on the road on Coole Lane there is a farm that sells rare breeds pork so we walked up there and got some bacon, sausages, belly pork and burgers, it’s really good meat and the bacon is exceptionally good.

When we got back to the boat, we realised we forgot to get pork mince as I want to make some sausage rolls so I rang the farm and the lady said they had some and they were coming down in the afternoon to the field opposite to where we were moored so they would bring us a bag.  So that is what they did and I met them by the bridge, so not only excellent meat but great service as well!

Sunday morning Jane, Malcolm, Harry, Malcolm’s brother Michael and his dog Bob 2 walked up to see us.

  

  

Tuesday we decided to move down to outside the marina.  We had some rain but then it cleared up and the sun came out so that was our window to go.

We set off along the canal, under a few bridges and soon came to the moorings before Bridge 80 which was good as the sky was getting blacker and rain was on its way again. There was no boats there so we had the pick of the spaces. 

In the afternoon, it brightened up again so we walked down to Audlem and went to the Butchers and the Coop. When we came out of the Coop, it was very black again and starting to rain, so we went into The Lord Combermere pub for a coffee and to wait for the rain to stop.

  

         

When we got in there, Kev took his glasses off as they steamed up, when we sat down he went to put them on but couldn’t find them, they seemed to have disappeared, we checked all the bags and his coat but no luck and then he found them in the last place you would think they would be, inside the umbrella! He moved the umbrella and they fell onto the floor, he thinks he took them off and thought he had put them in his pocket but they went into the folded umbrella instead, we did laugh, old age setting in I think!!

When we left the pub it had almost stopped raining and as we were walking back it got brighter so we didn’t really get wet.

  

We are staying here a few days now and tomorrow (Wednesday) we are meeting Jane, Sheila and Tony at the cafe in the marina for Brunch so looking forward to that then Friday we will move down to the bottom of the Audlem flight.

Nantwich to Coole Pilate Leisure Area - Shropshire Union Canal

 

Monday 28^th September to Thursday 1^st October

We had a few days at Nantwich.  Sunday evening we had pizzas from the pizza boat and they were delicious, we would definitely recommend them and hopefully our paths will cross again so we can have another one.

Monday morning Jane and Malcolm came to pickup Harry and we all went to Calveley Mill Café and Shop for breakfast and also to buy the lovely Calveley Crunch cheese they sell in their shop.  We really enjoyed having Harry to stay and will miss him now he’s gone back home.

Tuesday was a glorious sunny day so we walked into town and had lunch sat outside Nantwich Bookshop & Café which we call The Library! We had toasted sandwiches and coffee and it was as good as always.  Wednesday was a very wet damp day so we were confined to barracks.  In the evening Jane and Malcolm picked us up and we went to a lovely Italian restaurant in nearby Whitchurch called Etizos and we weren’t disappointed the food was amazing and we had a really lovely evening.

Thursday – It was time to move on and we were glad to see it was a dry sunny morning.  We left our mooring and stopped at the services to get water, etc. When all that was done we headed on along the canal to turn around in the winding hole which was about a mile and a half away.

 

We turned around okay and headed back down the canal to Nantwich.

We went past Nantwich Canal Basin, under a bridge and on along past the moorings, we then went over the aqueduct and on a bit further then stopped in the moorings.  Not far from these moorings is a McColls shop so we walked down to there to get some rolls and a few other bits.  We walked back to the boat then had our lunch.  We felt like right old duffers stopping for lunch as that is what the majority of them seem to do, usually once we stop we stay put but not today.

After lunch we set off again along the canal, it was a nice sunny afternoon just right for a chug.  We traveled a couple of miles then were approaching Hack Green locks.

  

There are two locks here and a boat had just come out so that meant the lock would be set for us.

There is a problem at this lock in that the bottom gate is leaking really badly so it is hard to get it filled up to open the top gate so there is a Canal &River Trust guy at the lock to help and now they have a pulley on the gate to help open it.

  

I went up to the lock and opened the gates and Kev brought the boat in.I shut the gates and opened the paddles to fill the lock.

 

By the lock there is a little bit like building and underneath there was a sheep happily eating away and didn’t seem fazed by us at all. The CRT chap wasn’t sure where he had come from but had reported it so hopefully they would get him back to where he had come from where ever that was as he was a completely different colour from all the sheep in the nearby fields.

We got through the lock okay and went into the next one.  This one was full so I had to empty it first.

    

We were soon through there and on our way again.  We went on for about another mile and then came to Coole Pilate Leisure Area where we moored up.  There was only one other boat there so plenty of room.

Here there are benches and picnic tables so as it was such a glorious sunny warm afternoon we sat outside for a while until the sun started to go down and it got chilly.  While we were sat there a microlight  came over, quite low at first then climbed higher.

There was a beautiful bright full moon called the Harvest Moon last night and I managed to get a few pictures, it was lovely and when it came up over the horizon it was very orange and looked big.

We are staying here now for a few days as the weather forecast for the weekend isn’t great and we wouldn’t want to get wet moving the boat being fair weather boaters these days!