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!

Coole Pilate Leisure Area to Nantwich - Shropshire Union Canal

 

Friday 25^th to Sunday 27^th September

Friday and Saturday we stayed put and Friday afternoon we went for a walk down to the marina.  It’s a nice walk and we had a coffee and scone in the cafe.  Harry was pleased to see his Aunty Lauren was working in the cafe, she always makes a fuss of him, it was nice to see her.  Saturday we did a few jobs then went for walk as it was a glorious sunny afternoon, quite chilly but lovely. Late afternoon, I looked out the window and a sparrow hawk was on a pigeon and another pigeon luckily for him got away.  He stood on it for a bit then dragged the pigeon into the hedge as it was too big for him to lift and when we looked later, the pigeon had been eaten.  It was great to see a Sparrow Hawk so close but not so good for the pigeon!

Today (Sunday) we are moving on to Nantwich which is about 4 miles away and two locks at Hack Green. 

It was another glorious sunny morning as we set off along the canal.  It was quite busy today and there was two boats in front of us.  There are lots of geese on this stretch in the water and the fields.

    We went under a couple of bridges and then were approaching Hack Green locks.  We had to wait for the two boats in front of us to go down and a few boats were coming up.  I went to help out but as always when it came to our turn, although there were three boats behind us we started to do the lock on our own, then a lady came and helped.

We were soon through the first lock and on to the next one.  There was a Canal and River Trust chap at the lock as the bottom gate was leaking badly and therefore made the top gate hard to open.

I had to fill the lock as no-one was coming up and we managed to open the gate without too much trouble. A boat came along as we were going down so we left the gates open for them.

  

We chugged on along the canal under a few bridges and then came to Nantwich.  We went over the Aqueduct and moored up in the visitor moorings before the next bridge.

  

As it was a lovely sunny day and quite a few people around, we set up shop.  Kev took Harry out and I stayed behind to be sales assistant and I did sell a few things.

The Pizza Boat is moored behind us so guess what we are having for tea!

 

We are staying here for a few days now.  Harry is going back home tomorrow and Jane and Malcolm are coming to fetch him and then we are all going to Calveley Mill Shop and Café so looking forward to that and I am sure Harry is looking forward to seeing them as are we.  Then we will turn around and make our way back the way we have come.