Visit to the Lion Salt Works, Marston

Thursday 24^th August

Today we are off to the Lion Salt Works.  It is right on the canal and in fact we are moored outside.

Lion Salt Works

The Salt Works was constructed by Henry Ingram Thompson in 1894 and the salt works ran on this site for almost 100 years eventually closing in June 1986.  It is the last traditional open-pan salt making site and has been renovated and reconstructed now as a museum.

Nodding Donkey

Part of old Salt Ship

They have a great audio and video projection including the sights and smells of a working day which is really good, you can just imagine what it was like, really hot and dirty work.

Information Board

A Working Day

They have partially restored the Nodding Donkey which used to pump up the brine from the ground although it will never work again but is good to see.  We went in the Pump House  to see the Big Pump Engine which hopefully they will get working again one day.

They have also reproduced the Red Lion Inn which was built for the workers after a hard days work.

Crushing Machine

There are 4 Stove Houses to look around seeing how the salt was extracted as brine through to being packaged on site.  We saw the original salt pan, lofting holes and crushing machine.

There was also some lovely posters for the Mid Cheshire Railway Line and would you believe it, there is a place called Hale on that Line, I don't know we get everywhere!

Red Lion Pub

They also have a café and a shop and have made a Butterfly Garden in the grounds which is lovely with all the flowers which attract Butterflies.

Poster for Hale

We had a very enjoyable few hours wandering around, it was really interesting and well worth a visit.

We walked back to the boat and chilled out for a while then walked up to Neumann’s Flashes again to one of the hides and sat there for a while looking at the birds on the lake. There were lots of Lapwings and a few Snipe and moor hens and plenty of gulls.

Butterfly Garden

When we got back from our walk, we made some Damson Jam with the damsons we had picked a couple of days ago when we were at Billinge Green Flash and it came out okay and actually set so that was good.

Our homemade Damson Jam

We are staying here again tonight then off to Anderton tomorrow where we hope to go down the lift onto the River Weaver so looking forward to that.

Billinge Green Flash to Marston (Trent & Mersey Canal)

Riverside Farm Shop

Lovely Views

Yesterday (Tuesday), we stayed put and walked up to the Riverside Organic Farm Shop and Café, it is about a mile from where we were moored.  It is a lovely place, they have a small shop selling their own reared Aberdeen Angus beef and Texel lamb and locally sourced free range pork and chicken as well as organic fruit and vegetables and chutneys, jam and honey made by the bees around the farm.

They also have a café where you can sit outside with wonderful views over the valley, it really is a lovely place. They also have a children’s corner with climbing frames and some small pigs and goats.

Inside the Farm Shop

We bought a few things in the shop then had lunch outside looking at the lovely views.  We both had their homemade burgers, Kev had beef and I had lamb and they were really good.  They also sell Snugbury’s ice-cream so obviously for our dessert, we had to have one, it’s such lovely ice-cream.

It is well worth a visit from the canal and we shall be stopping again on the way back.

Today, we are moving on a few miles to Marston.  We left our mooring and chugged on along the canal, there were a few boats around but the canal is quite quiet.

Leaving Billing Green Flash

Passing the new Marina

We passed the marina which was being done the last time we were here three years ago and it is now open, but there aren’t many boats in there, not surprised really as there are no facilities and it still looks half finished.

Just up from there is another small marina which is much nicer and full of boats.

Passing through the Chemical Plant

We went past Broken Cross and was pleased to see that since we were here last they have repaired the moorings outside the pub and they are now nice and tidy as before it was all falling into the canal and didn’t look that safe to moor on.

Pathway in the Flashes

Information Board

On we went, right through a Chemical Works, very industrial this part  and after a couple of miles we were at Marston and moored up in the visitor moorings.

Newmann's Flashes

We had some lunch then went out for a walk.  We walked up the road and into Neumann’s Flashes where they have made some nice footpaths and also some hides so you can look out over the flashes and see the wildlife.  It is a really nice walk and we followed another path which took us to Northwich and the Asda.

Another Information Board

We stopped off at their café for a coffee, then  did some shopping and then walked back on a different path which led to where we came into the flashes.  We walked back along the road and back to the boat.

We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow as we are off to visit the Lion Salt Works so looking forward to that.

Moored at Marston

Middlewich (before Big Lock) to Billinge Green Flash (Trent & Mersey Canal)

We are on the move today and although the sun wasn’t shining and it was overcast, it was dry.

Pub by the Lock

Middlewich Sign by the Lock

We set off from our mooring and was soon at Middlewich Big Lock, which is a double lock and there was a boat already there and he had got the lock ready so we both went into together.  There is a pub called The Big Lock right by the lock where we had a drink yesterday.

In Middlewich Big Lock

Recycling Centre by Canal

Going over Croxton Aqueduct

The lock is a double lock but not very deep so we were soon through there and on our way along the canal, it is a bit winky wonky in this section.  The Recycling Center is right by the canal and there are moorings so you can stop and drop off your rubbish so that is what we did.   We went on and was soon passing over Croxton Aqueduct which is a steel structure and is only 8ft 2in wide and goes over the River Dane.

Heron Drying his Wings

We chugged on and passed Croxton Flashes, a wide expanse of water where there was a Cormorant drying his wings.

We then were going through a very narrow part and guess what we met two CRT work boats which are big, we managed to pass okay although we were at a very funny angle going past them as it was shallow on our side, it is a horrible feeling and I was glad when we were past them and the boat was level again!

Going through the narrow bits

We then passed some very nice moorings in a wood with picnic tables and barbeques, we will stop there on the way back.

On we went for another couple of miles and moored at Billinge Green Flash which is a wide ‘lagoons’ caused by subsidence and there are submerged barges  and narrowboats, so you need to stay on the main line of the canal.  It is a lovely place to moor really open and quiet.

We are staying here today and also tomorrow as there is a farm shop not too far away which we haven’t visited before and we are off there tomorrow because unfortunately it is closed today.

Moored at Billinge Green Flash

Middlewich (Before Bridge 30) (Middlewich Branch) to Middlewich (Before Big Lock) (Trent & Mersey)

Smugs flat out!

We are finally moving on today after being here a few days.  On Friday (18^th), our friends John, Sharon and Smuggler caught us up and moored next to us, so we had a lovely evening together chatting and drinking gin, very civilised and Smugs just crashed out on the dinette and he didn’t even have any gin!

Gin Evening with John & Sharon

Coming to Wardle Lock

Wardle Lock

Yesterday (Saturday), we went to Bristol for the day by train to visit our dear friend Peter who is gravely ill in hospital after having a stroke, him and his wife Kate lived near me in Banwell and he was a wonder friend to me and Kev and we had lots of happy times together so we wanted to go and see him.  We said bye to John, Sharon and Smugs before we went to get the bus and as we are both going the same way, sure we will meet up again soon, its always lovely to see them and spend time together.

Plaque for Maureen

Plaque for Wardle Lock

Passing Maggin Finns

The sun was shining as we set off along the very quiet canal and came to Wardle Lock. There was a boat in front of us so when they had left, I filled it back up and Kev then brought the boat in and down we went.  There is a house by the lock that used to belong to a lady called Maureen, she was well known to the boaters and used to keep them all in check as they came through the lock. She passed away some years ago and there is a plaque by the lock in her memory.

Turning onto the Trent & Mersey

Once you get through Wardle lock, you turn onto the Trent & Mersey canal, we were turning left.  This is usually a very busy junction but today there were no boats there at all, only us, very quiet.

Down we go

The Middlewich Branch which we have just left is connected to the Trent & Mersey Canal via a small stretch of canal known as the Wardle Branch Canal.  This was originally owned by the Trent & Mersey and caused major problems when planning the Middlewich Branch as huge tolls were to be imposed by the owners of Wardle Lock.  As a result, in 1852 a diversion of 327 yards was proposed to avoid the lock and connect the Middlewich Branch to the Trent & Mersey elsewhere.  This, however, never happened.

By Historic Dry Dock

We chugged on along the canal passing Maggie Finn’s Tea Room where we went the other day and then came to Middlewich 3 locks.  It was very quiet here as well and there was a boat coming out so in we went.  These locks are very close so I walked to the next one to see if anyone was coming up, but no, there was a boat in the third lock which I thought was coming up and the paddle was up on the second lock so someone was getting it ready.

From one lock to the next

Kev came out of the lock we had come down and passed a very old dry dock which is still in use.

We then realised that the boat in the third lock was actually going down and that the paddle on the second lock had been opened by the people waiting to come up as they were two boats together and obviously didn’t want to wait.  They weren’t even in the third lock so I decided to fill the lock as otherwise we would be waiting for ever.  We filled up the lock and Kev came in as they were coming up the other lock.

And out we come

Nice Seat by the Canal

I don’t think they liked what we did, but it wasn’t their lock, you can’t get locks ready when you are not even in the first one. They didn’t really speak and the lady on the second boat who now had to wait for us to go down went up and helped her friend on the next lock and only came down to our lock when I was opening the gates, oh well never mind!  Typical SAS! (Saturday and Sunday boaters who come out of marinas for the weekend, tear around and go back in at the end of the weekend)

We stopped at the water point and filled up then went on a bit further and moored before the The Big Lock pub near the park.

We are still in Middlewich but a bit further along the canal.  We are staying here tonight as we want to do a bit more shopping and then moving on tomorrow.

Moored at Middlewich before Big Lock

Visit Sandbach and Northwich

Thursday 17^th August

Indoor Market

Outdoor Market

We are off on a bus ride today to Sandbach and then Northwich.  We walked down to the main road and first went to Sandbach.

Boutique Market in Sandbach

It is a really nice town and today there was a general market which was really good with lots of stalls and also the indoor market was open so we had a wander around there as well.

Sandbach Crosses in the Square

We then went for a coffee and had another look around the shops, then got the bus to Northwich.

Northwich is also a nice town and it is on the River Weaver.  There are quite a lot of shops there so we had a wander around and then found a nice place to have some lunch.

River Weaver

After lunch, we did a bit more shopping and then walked down to the River Weaver and sat for a while there watching the world go by, it was a lovely sunny warm afternoon.

River Weaver

We then got the bus back to Middlewich.  We had a nice day visiting these two towns which we have been to before but it is always nice to go back again.

We just chilled out for the rest of the evening.