Anderton Boat Lift - T&M to River Weaver

What two posts in one day!!!
Well the Boat lift and the Weaver give us plenty to talk about.
As can be seen from our yesterday's blog, we were unsure of facilities on the Weaver, so went to ABC Leisure Group on the T&M first thing this morning for pump out, etc.  Guys were really helpful.

Following this, just in case, we arrived early at the Anderton Boat Lift.  Yesterday Chris had booked a passage for 11.30am today but we were allowed on at 10.30 as we were the only boat going down from the Canal to the River.  The caissons (troughs) can take 2 narrowboats side by side.

The whole area surrounding canal and river is salt mines so, similarly to being at the sea-side, you have a constant salt taste on your lips and there is a constant reminder of the industry around the countryside with the huge engineering works associated with this commercial mining enterprise.

The CaRT guys on the Lift were extremely friendly and full of information.  As per his rote, the chap at the top (John) went through the H&S check and paperwork; nothing onerous and he settled us into our caisson (water-filled trough) ready for transfer down to the Weaver.  Although we expected the transfer to be a physical challenge, it was not, but was a visual transfer from a quiet canal to a wide commercial river (salt mine engineering, etc)).  Thanks must be also to Alan (? ex farm lad and recent recruit to the Lift) who had obviously also researched so much information on the Lift.  It was a very informative and exciting experience. Apologies for the number of photos but it is our first time!

Above 3 photos: entering the caisson

John

The adjacent water-filled caisson on the left going up with 2 narrowboats inside

Gate lifting allowing us to enter the River Weaver from the caisson

Alan

The drop of 50 feet from T&M Canal to River Weaver via Anderton Lift

Carey Park with nb Just The One in the distance

Coming off the Lift, we had to get some basic provisions.  There is a Waitrose at Northwich where you can moor against their car park.  Maybe on our return through this town when we will have more time we will have a look around as the buildings seem to echo all Tudor / timber related design - all looks beautiful.

Also, as we moved off Waitrose moorings, we saw and spoke to the couple on nb Just The One from moorings adjacent to us at Shardlow - what a small world!  They asked to be remembered at JD Narrowboats at Shardlow for when we all return!

Northwich town centre

Northwich town centre

Northwich town centre

Now on River Weaver, we expected it to have a distinct hard flow (not quite as the Trent), but there appears to be very little flow.  Currently moored against Carey Park which has so many pathways designed into a mixed deciduous woodland - beware Jan, take your mobile with you so you don't get lost again!!

PS: as learnt today: 'wich' was the Roman for 'salt', so Northwick, Middlewich, etc denotes where the salt was to be found.  Apparently most of the salt mined in this area nowadays is for road use (i.e. salting winter roads).

On to Preston Brook - Almost

The plan for yesterday was to head towards the end of the Trent and Mersey canal then wind and head back for Anderton ready to go down onto the Weaver today.  The day started poorly as we awoke to persisting rain, but by 10am the sun was out. We are unsure how long we will stop on the Weaver or if the services are available so before we descend we will pump out the loo tank and fill the water tank. That will give us a week without worrying about services as those facilities seem rare on the Weaver.

Just before Barnton Tunnel

The upper part of the T&M is very beautiful with tree lined sections mixed with great views across the Weaver Valley. The journey included two tunnels, Saltersford tunnel is by far the least straight tunnel we have navigated. Either the rock was very difficult to work or the engineer liked a drink or two to get him started in the mornings!

View across the Weaver Valley

View across the Weaver Valley

Penultimate mile post

We continued until we reached Dutton Stop Lock then winded and headed back to Anderton. We did pass the final mile post but it was overgrown so I photographed the next post.

Jan & John on nb Jubilee

Once again we passed Jan and John (Halfie) on NB Jubilee. I think this will be our last meeting on this cruise as they are now heading for the Leeds Liverpool Canal.  We wish them a good trip and look forward to meeting again.

A couple of photos taken by Jan in Barnton Tunnel 

Barnton Tunnel ventilation shaft

Had a bit of a scare when Jan was dropped off to take Spot for a walk as we had no locks for her to play on. She found a path down into Longacre wood and got lost.  After half an hour of shouting and searching we managed to reinit and carry on. The moral of the story is the new boat horn is very handy and loud and never leave the boat without your mobile phone.

Middlewich and The Anderton Boat Lift

Friday we cruised through the Cheshire plains. As you can see there is evidence of the huge resource of salt under the ground. The extent of salt extraction has created large areas of subsidence in the area.  Apparently there has been no building development around until recently as a great deal of financial resources have now been allocated to alleviate the problem.

British Salt processing works

Just before you enter Middlewich you pass by the British Salt processing works with a massive stockpile of salt stored in the open. You can taste salt on the wind. At Kings Lock we were hailed by John (Halfie) from NB Jubilee. He was visiting friends and said their boat was moored three locks down. We spotted NB Jubilee moored in the centre of Middlewich, we moored next to her and went into town to find Tesco for supplies. When we returned Jan & John were back and we had a chat before pushing on towards the Boat Lift.

Middlewich was busy with lots of hire boats returning and leaving. As we passed through the Middlewich 3 locks we came across Saturn the horse drawn boat however today the horse, famously known as Cracker, had a day off and the boat was being manhandled by people power.

Craxton Flash

We passed through Craxton Flash which was caused by the salt mining subsidence; it was a very picturesque site.  Just north of the Flash we moored for the night in the middle of nowhere, all was so peaceful and quiet. We had yesterday's left over curry for tea, we'd only eaten half of it as the portions were so large.  Went really well with salad and a few new potatoes - a very cosmopolitan dish!

Tata Chemical Works

We passed through the middle of the Tata Chemical Works which felt a bit like entering the gates of hell as can be seen from the photos above. It was rather an impressive sight though.

Saturday was a no-lock day so we had a restful time, although this didn't impress Spot.

After a steady cruise we reached Anderton and found a nice spot to moor by a small park only a couple of hundred yards from the Boat Lift and the Stanley Arms pub. This is a very popular spot with a lot of boats coming and going, although there are many mooring places. We walked to the gift shop to buy a fridge magnet (Jan's little quirk - she buys magnets as memoirs) and then onto the pub for a few pints of Spitfire and a nice meal. On the way back to TM from the pub we bumped into Halfie again. They had moored up a few hundred yards above us. John kindly asked us back to Jubilee for a drink but we were so tired and full up we sadly had to decline. In bed asleep by 9pm! Must be the fresh air.

The plan now is to go down the boat lift on Monday after we have pumped out as there are no facilities on the Weaver and we are not sure how long we will be on the river.  We're both really looking forward to this next stage of our journey.

Wheelock and the Shower Encounter

Yesterday was designated a slow day to aid recovery from the previous long haul day. We did the last 8 locks to Wheelock (quite a few boats moving up and down making it easier - team work) and found a mooring close to the CaRT facility. All moored up by lunchtime. As you can see below Spot was also knackered after all the previous day's locks.

Spot still exhusted

All the locks around here are deep, usually at least 10 ft and are single twin locks (although one or two of the adjacent pairs were closed for repairs).

10ft lock with no leaks

The photo below gives some idea of the scale of the twin locks.

As soon as we moored at Wheelock we were greeted by an extremely bad tempered swan trying to mug us for food. I walked past the open side hatch and was greeted by a big cob, all fluffed up and hissing and trying to get on board. It had a good go at trying to get at me through the hatch before I beat it back with a towel that came to hand to defend myself. Once it decided it was getting nowhere with me it moved to the stern to have a go at Jan. Bad move: pre-warned, she was ready with the golfing brolly flapping it open and closed at it and it soon buggered of hissing and swearing.  It floated past later with pen and five half-grown cygnets but was rather subdued - obviously under the little lady's thumb/wing.

Wheelock flight twin locks

Later in the afternoon Jan decided to go to the CaRT facilities for a shower. The shower on TM is fine but sometimes it is nice to watch the water run down the plug hole without worrying about how much water is left.  Jan's experience: took BW key but not necessary as door catch didn't lock properly.  Into shower room, undress and switch on shower.  Nothing!! Two dials and press button - pressed, turned, swore, pressed, turned swore - still no water.  Floor wet so someone had magic'd it into action before me.  In desperation, about to get dressed then noticed what I originally thought was an emergency pull-cord.  Well, this was an emergency! so pulled cord and eureka I had water.

Running short on fresh vittles we decided to have a take-away Indian from Shampaan curry house just down the road.  One of the best Indians we have ever had but if you eat there be warned the portion sizes are large.

Two cripples on Heartbreak Hill

Well, we well and truly overdid it today. We left Azanute on the Mac and winded, pumped out and filled with Derv before heading back down the Mac to Red Bull, onto the Trent & Mersey and down Heartbreak Hill towards Wheelock.  Jan has been suffering from a painful swollen ankle and my knee has been giving me some stick but there is no point in moaning so on we went.

CaRT fixing Red Bull Lock

We were held up at Red Bull lock because the CaRT chaps were repairing a broken paddle.  All fixed in half an hour which was a pity as I was hoping for a two hour wait in the beer garden.  By 3pm we were both struggling with ankle and knee and we should have stopped but no we mindlessly push on until 5pm when we are confronted with the choice of squeezing onto the edge of a lock mooring or having to go down the next 6 locks.

Heartbreak Hill

We always seem to do this once on every cruise. We are in no rush so why do we rush !!! So only 7 miles but 19 locks on and we both sit in the boat full of pain killers falling asleep.

View from side hatch at 4am this morning

Woke this morning at 4am and Jan spotted this out of the side hatch. Beautiful morning, back to bed for a few more hours.

Harecastle and Meeting Fellow Bloggers

We awoke yesterday morning to the sound of a thousand Canada Geese marching past our window.  Later saw some 15 cygnets floating past with 6 meer-geese (like meer cats) as look-outs.  The whole area of Westport is alive with Canada geese; totally outnumber ducks and swans.  Had to take Spot out on morning walk initially on lead - not a happy bunny but soon unleashed found a pathway through a wood copse and onto a playing field full of furry bunnies - good sport!

Some amazing old buildings related to the canal can be found - so much history in this part of the cut: potteries etc.  Quite a few buildings in this area have been renovated into visitor centres, small business enterprises but, as can be seen from above and below photos some still in need of repair.  Such a fascinating journey.

Through the Harecastle Tunnel again (third time this month).  CaRT guys very helpful with instructions, H&S etc.  Although we've got a railway look-out's horn as well as a weak electric horn the CaRT guy loaned us a gas-fired horn (I suppose in case of any of us snuffs it in the tunnel!)

Must say a big HELLO to Jan and Halfie (John) on nb Jubilee - a fellow blogger.  Saw them passing us at Westport lake and moored against them at Harecastle entrance. They are out for six months so we look forward to reading many blog entries. John took a photo of us on TM which is now on their nb Jubilee blog click here to see.  Great to meet fellow boaters and get to know them, however briefly - see you next time on the cut!!

Currently moored at B87 on the Mac awaiting our friends from Castle Donington.  From our exuberant comments on our last cruise up this canal, they have decided to change their planned route and go to Bugsworth Basin (a good choice we think).  Will be eating again at one of our favourite canal stops: the Rising  Sun - good food and excellent company (or vice-versa!)

As usual we were made very welcome at the Rising Sun and had a nice meal. It was good to meet up with Colin, Rick and Mark on Azanute. This year's 2 week cruise for them is down to the end of the Peak Forest and back.

As you can see Mark sleeps in a tent on the towpath. This is not due to lack of space on Azanute but to the volume of Colin's snoring!

Mark, Rick & Colin

Mark and Rick looking remarkably well considering they were the last people out of the pub last night.

The boys off up the Mac

Above, the boys heading off for breakfast. Congleton it is time to lock up your daughters. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Back on the Move

We are back on Tilly May after a couple of weeks back home. We left her at Festival Park Marina nice and safe so we could go back home and do a few jobs. The main reason for the return was the annual Music in the Park Festival held on Spital Park Castle Donington. It is a free afternoon of live band

lied on by the Parish Council and funded mostly by Live Nation (the organisation that put on Download) as a thank you to the community for all the disruption. As you can see from the photos its a big day so it takes some organising and marshalling. Although the event only runs for the afternoon we were there for 7:30am and didn't get home until 8:30pm. If you want to see more photos of the day click here. It takes a few days to get over that.

Anyway we are now back moored once again at Westport Lake and will progress through the Harecastle Tunnel for the third time before returning to the Rising Sun pub on the start of the Mac. We are in fact off up the T&M but have arranged to meet Friends there for a meal and a few beers. More of that tomorrow.