Since leaving Manchester we have been very busy!  We have been on four different canals and in the next couple of days will have moved onto the Trent and Mersey Canal.

The morning we left Manchester it was throwing it down with rain as we left.  We were lucky enough to team up with narrowboat Bullfinch at the bottom of the Rochdale nine and had a good though not uneventful trip up the nine locks with them.  Moored up overnight at Piccadilly Basin and had a wander around Piccadilly area of Manchester in the afternoon.  Tried Krispy Creme doughnuts for the first time.  Nice but not sure what all the fuss is about!

Bottom lock in the Rochdale nine.  nb Bullfinch waited for us in the pound above.

The following morning we hightailed it up the Ashton Canal, as the advice is not to moor overnight on this canal.  Have done the Ashton Canal twice now and to me it doesn't seem that bad.  However we took the advice and completed it in the day.  Turned into the Peak Forest Canal to moor for the night.

The Ashton Canal

Turning onto the Peak Forest Canal

We spent several very pleasant days cruising the Lower Peak Forest Canal, which we have not been on before.  It is a very picturesque canal with some beautiful scenery.

Lower Peak Forest Canal

Only one flight of locks on the Peak Forest Canal, sixteen locks though some of them seeming really deep! The flight takes you up to Marple and the junction with the Macclesfield Canal.  Marple Flight has to be one of the most stunning lock flights on the system.  However it is not without its problems one of which is that the water level in the pounds gets very low.  So low on the day that we went up that I got stuck several times.

Coming up Marple Flight

Having come up Marple flight we turned onto the Macclesfield Canal and moored up to spent a few days in Marple.  I was happy because I managed to buy some yarn I was short of to finish a cardigan, well chuffed as I originally bought the yarn a year ago in Marple and they still had stocks of it.

This time we managed to moor up in Macclesfield, which we couldn't do last year.  Nice town with some impressive buildings and reasonable shops.

The Macclesfield Canal also only has one lock flight, with 12 locks!  Another flight of locks set in lovely countryside.

 Bosley Locks on the Macclesfield Canal

We moored at the bottom of Bosley locks for a couple of nights and Graham went walking with the dogs to the top of the hill in the picture below, The Cloud.  I did start off to go as well but decided before we began the climb that I probably wouldn't make it, so I went back to the boat and had a cup of coffee.

The Cloud, that Graham walked up on his birthday!

Mooring at the bottom of Bosley Locks

 Tonight we are moored opposite Ramsdell Hall and it is raining again.  Still on the Macclesfield Canal next stop the Trent and Mersey Canal and Harecastle Tunnel.

It's been ages since my last blog installment, but we really haven't moved far in the meantime.  On Monday (28th July), which incidentally was our 30th wedding anniversary, we descended Wigan flight.  Twenty-one double locks, on the short side for a boat of our length, and heavy, hard work to wind and push.  Made reasonable time and stopped for an hour for lunch mid flight.  Did not meet many boats on the flight and on the whole the ones we did meet did not help to speed us on our way.  Spotted one boat coming up and in the lock below the one we were approaching, as the lock was empty I opened it and we waited for them to come up.  The crew were lovely, but the ignorant git steering the boat enquired of his crew why I had shut the gates of the lock above.  I pointed out that I was there and had not seen him until it was already shut, rude man!  To add insult to injury they had shut the gates as they exited their lock and by the time we got there I had to lift paddles to fill the lock before we could open the gates.  Also met a boat coming up that was stuck in a lock.  They couldn't get the gate open.  After much head scratching and muttering, they eventually worked out that they had left a paddle open.  Once opened the lock filled and they were off!  However there is some lovely scenery on the way down which rewards the effort.

Coming down Wigan Flight

Some of the locks have significant leaks!

 
We completed the 21 locks in the Wigan flight and the two further locks on the Leigh branch and moored up at Dover Lock, where we were planning to have a pub meal.  However the Dover Lock Inn is under new management, sadly no food and only rubbish beer.  Had a meal on the boat after drinking three pints of the rubbish beer.  Moored up for a couple of days at Dover Lock and then moved to Astley Green for the weekend.  Had a very lazy few days before moving on to Manchester on Monday morning.

Worsley on the Bridgewater Canal

Barton Aquaduct

Views of the Manchester Ship Canal from Barton Aquaduct

We arrived in Manchester mid morning Monday and after lunch set of for a look around.  Graham has sorted out that there is a free bus service and so this morning after walking the dogs we set out to catch the bus and then have a good look around.  Had a good day and discovered that the 'Dig the City' festival is on.  Brilliant festival with loads of garden displays really enjoyed looking around the various gardens and displays.

Coming into Manchester on Jeanie Deans

Moored in Castlefield Manchester)

Tomorrow we move on!  Up the Rochdale nine locks to Piccadilly.  Moor up overnight and then an early start to complete the Ashton Canal in one day and moor on the Peak Forest Thursday evening.

This evening we are moored at the top of Wigan flight waiting to descend in the morning.  I think it will be an early start as the fearsome Wigan Flight is a flight of 21 double locks.  As they are also quite short (a maximum of 60 foot), like the rest of the Leeds Liverpool Canal it can be problematic going through with a 60 foot boat, especially if the gates are leaky as water floods into the back cabin if precautions are not taken!  The moorings near the top of the flight are a bit shallow so we can't get the boat into the side this evening and need to use a gang plank.  The dogs manage this quite well but are well able to jump to shore should they choose to do so.

Moored near the top of Wigan Flight.  Cant get into the side because it is too shallow!

Mooring pin covers that I crocheted after spotting something similar on a moored boat at Skipton.

Today has been a fairly easy day following two long days with early starts to get through Burnley and Blackburn as apparently they are no go areas for mooring.  Always unsure whether the horror stories have any substance but on balance prefer to abide by the received wisdom and avoid overnight stays.  However neither place seemed that bad so maybe not as black as has been painted.

Although we had two long days on Thursday and Friday we also had some easy more chilled days.  On Wednesday we visited Barnoldswick, known as Barlick by the locals, where we spent a couple of hours looking around the town, shopping and eating another lovely homemade pork pie and buying home made malt bread, delicious!!  We moored for the evening at Salterforth on the visitor moorings, right outside the Anchor pub, where we had good beer and a lovely meal.  We were the only boat on the visitor moorings overnight, no idea why.

One man and his dog at the services at the top of the very pretty Greenberfield Locks

Salterforth visitor mooring right outside the pub! no idea why no-one else moored here.

Thursday was a long day with the six locks of Barrowford Flight, and a very hot day.  Not helped by one of the pounds being so low we got stuck and had to go and run water down from the lock above.  Always a pain!!  Also almost got hit by a hire boat leaving a lock and apparently not knowing that you need to steer a boat.  Graham not happy as he couldn't move any further over as too shallow.  Before the locks we passed through Foulbridge Tunnel, where we had to wait for the traffic light signal before entering.  Jake managed to fall off the back of the boat just before the entrance and had to be rescued.  He has quite got the hang of swimming after the boat now instead of heading for the side.  This makes it easier to haul him back onboard.  Moored for the night at Hapton.  Not too bad but a busy towpath and several motorcycles along, not sure that they are strictly allowed!

Approaching Foulridge Tunnel

Waiting to go through Foulridge Tunnel

North portal Foulridge Tunnel

Poor Jake fell in!!

Don't take my picture I'm wet (haha!!)

Friday was another long day with another six locks, Blackburn Flight, seemed to be an easier day though in spite of having a very early start.  Leaving early helped to beat the heat of the day and at least it was cooler for the locks.  Moored at Riley Green overnight and had another pub meal.  Nice but a bit pricey for what it was.

Saturday was another early start and yet another flight of seven locks.  However met another boat at the top of the flight and shared locks.  A fairly short day as we stopped at the bottom of the locks, Johnson's Hill Flight.  Later in the afternoon walked back up the flight to the excellent Top Lock pub where we had a more reasonably priced meal.  I had the special curry that was by far the best curry I have ever eaten in a pub and would give several takeaway and Indian Restaurants a run for their money.  It was made by the manager to his own recipe and apparently the Top Lock are famous for their curries.

While moored at Johnson's Hill Flight we spotted the Piano Raft!  This guy is taking his unpowered raft, which has a piano on the back from Liverpool to London, via Leeds. Had a chat with him this morning as he was moored in one of the lock pounds when we walked the dogs.  Not sure how he will tackle the tidal Trent or indeed get up Foxton and down Watford locks as they are narrow beam locks and he is too wide.  Grahm is pretty sure we saw this at Burscough last year so there may be another photo of it in an earlier installment.  http://pianoraft.wordpress.com/  I have included a link to his blog for anyone interested.

Piano raft Kontiki

Piano raft Kontiki

Tomorrow is our 30th wedding anniversary and for a special treat I will be working the 21 locks of Wigan Flight!