Heading North on the Shropshire Union

Cruising on the Shropshire Union Canal continues to be relatively quiet when you consider it is the middle of the summer break. It's usually a time when it is difficult to get a mooring at the popular mooring places and queuing is the 'norm' at locks but we have seen none of that. The breach at Middlewich, severing the Four Counties Ring, seems to have kept many boats away, not keen to do the one-way trip. We took this photo of the breach back in May when we first arrived in England.

Continuing our cruising, leaving Gnosall on yet another fine day, this is the first chance I have had to get a decent shot of a heron, this one was happy to let us pass by.

It was only a short cruise to Norbury Junction (no longer a junction but previously the junction with the Newport Canal) where we stopped for water and fuel. We were tempted by the tea rooms but not this time! Only a short cruise on and the Premier Foods loading wharf juts out nearly to the centre of the canal, a great place to stop for temporary relief if it's raining.

Our mooring for the evening was at the top of Tyrley Locks. The wharf and stables were built in 1838 and were a busy port until the 1930's. The stables have now been converted into small apartments.

Tyrley Locks 'The Stables

First thing in the morning a team of CRT workers turned up which made me think something was up. I went down to talk to them and sure enough in half an hour they were going to close the Tyrley Lock Flight. We were quick to get organised and start our decent down the five lock flight rather than wait their anticipated four hours to complete the job. It's only a short cruise from the bottom lock into the town of Market Drayton. Time to do a bit more work on the boat before tomorrow's Saturday market.

As with most market towns the centre of Market Drayton has the old market building. The Saturday Market seems a lot bigger than it was in days gone by.

A pleasant few days in Market Drayton and it was time for a busy day of lock wheeling. Less than an hours cruise from Market Drayton are the Adderley Locks, a five lock flight followed closely by the Audlem Locks, a fifteen lock flight. A working boat and butty (unpowered boat) passed us just as we were thinking of moving off  so we delayed our departure for an hour. That's the equivalent of having more than two boats ahead of you since the butty has to be dragged both in and out of each lock.

We always enjoy getting to the top lock at Audlem for the fresh produce at the farm shop with honesty box. This time we grabbed a pork pie for dinner for £3, we'll stop here again on our return journey.

We arrived at the Audlem Flight and the working boat and butty were well down the flight, seems they had a team of people working the locks. We passed another working boat getting ready to go down the locks as we cruised straight into the top lock, a boat having just exited. A few locks head start on the working boat behind us and they too had a team to work the locks.

We stayed ahead of the working boat and lock team for nine locks before the team sent one person ahead to help us which sped things up immensely. We stopped for water in front of the Shroppie Fly Inn as the working boat continued on.

It turns out there is a canal festival in Audlem next week and all the boats were coming down to get ready.

When we had finished filling with water so had the rain so we pushed on with the last three locks and finished the day after another half hour moored near Over Water Marina just in time to beat another heavy downpour. Only a short cruise into Nantwich in the morning, in place and ready to pick up more visitors off the train from Crewe. Back to the boat to drop off luggage and it was time for a walking tour of Nantwich before a pub lunch and more touring.

The next day was a short trip to Barbridge before turning onto the Middlewich Branch and taking them down through a lock where we had planned to have lunch at the Wilton Marina Cafe which we now know is closed on Mondays. Plenty in the fridge to feed everybody before finishing the day back at Barbridge moored outside the Olde Barbridge Inn where we had dinner. We sent our visitors off from there the next morning as we winded (turned) and headed off down to Chester heading for our mooring tonight at the base of Beeston Castle. We dropped down through Beeston Stone Lock on to our mooring, all locks are doubles on this leg of the trip.

 This is a great mooring and there were plenty of deer around.

Not to mention plenty of rabbits popping out of these holes later in the evening.

We made our next over night stop in Christleton (pics are in the July 2014 blog) before heading down into Chester to pick up more visitors off the train. Rachael's on the tow path heading down to set Hoole Lane Lock, the last before our mooring in Chester for a few days.