Day 26 - Wednesday July 26th - Audlem to Tattenhall
17 miles 3 furlongs, 12 locks, 8 hours 50 minutes
Lay in bed for a while this morning doing a bit of route planning.
Eventually got going at 8.15am, the last four locks of the Audlem flight
taking just under the hour. Uneventful run to the pair of locks at Hack
Green, where I caught up with the boat in front of me, as they were
about to enter the lock. Having cleared the first lock, the entire crew
got back on board for the 200 yard run to the second lock where they
stopped, moored the boat and proceeded to set the lock. You can just
about understand it when it's an older retired couple, but when it's a
boat full of youngsters, you'd think that one of them would have walked
forward to set the lock! Cleared the pair of locks by 10.40am, with the
boat behind me hot on my heels. Past Nantwich Basin at 11.45am, and
Hurleston Junction at 12.20pm, where a hire boat was just exiting the
lock. He swung into line heading North behind me. Barbridge Junction
came up half an hour later, and I went straight on, heading for Chester
and Ellesmere Port. Rather annoyingly, as I was tying up at the top of
the Bunbury staircase, the crew of a boat ascending the locks wound up
the middle paddles. When I got there, I asked why they didn't let me in
to the top before winding the paddles, as they had clearly seen me.
They pointed out that there were two boats coming up, so I explained how
you could send 2 up and 1 down (or 1 up and 2 down) by shuffling the
boats around in the middle. Oh well, they'll know for next time. There
was a single boat still waiting below the staircase, so it wasn't
completely wasted water. The gate paddles on the bottom gates beyond
Nantwich have been fitted with the Fenner granny boxes, takes an age to
wind the damn things up. At least they mostly run smoothly enough that
you can drop the paddles controlling the speed with a hand on the shaft
rather than having to wind them down again. Cleared the staircase at
2.15pm, having discovered that the Anglo Welsh shop there was almost
entirely devoid of provisions. UHT milk being available but declined.
My guide talks about a useful shop by Beeston Stone lock, but that has
gone now. Arrived at Beeston Iron lock at the same time as a boat
coming the other way, but as it was full I went in first. The boat was
dropping down nicely, when I suddenly realised that there were no lock
ladders at all. Managed to get back on board while it wasn't too mush
of a drop to the roof! I've single handed a boat up this lock before,
but can't remember what I did. The footbridge across the tail of the
lock means you can't easily pull the boat in. I guess I'll find out
when I come back this way. :-) Tied up just beyond the bridge to walk
to the little newsagents cum local shop, as I was just about out of
milk. Bought an ice-cream as well, but it didn't even make it back to
the boat! Set off again at 4.05pm, through Wharton lock with its fine
views of Beeston Castle. Decided not to stop at the Shady Oak, but to
press on to Crow's nest bridge, were the description of the "Poacher's
Pocket" caught my eye. Tied up for the night at 5.30pm, and after a bit
of a rest and a shower, wandered off in search of said Poacher. I knew
you had to head South from the road bridge, cross the railway and it was
somewhere on the right. Unfortunately, the Poacher's Pocket is no more,
as I discovered when I asked someone after nearly reaching Tattenhall.
Carried on walking into Tattenhall, where after investigating the
Sportsman, settled on the Letter Box, for a nice piece of steak and a
few pints of Deuchar's. Got the bus back at about ten.
Weather - Initially overcast, then Sunny
Tomorrow's Forecast - Sunny Intervals
Terry Streeter
NB Arun - Tattenhall
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