Marple Locks…

On Sunday morning we set off up Marple Locks at about 9.30, taking it slowly as we had strict instructions to save some for Russ and Nat.  The 16 locks in this flight were an absolute pleasure to work after the Ashton Flight!  Although the last boat to have used them went up on Saturday afternoon, the bottom gates of most of the locks are leaky, so the majority of them were empty and waiting for us. Yes, the bottom paddles of the few that were full were stiff, but not as bad as some we have done this trip.  That probably makes the trip down harder work than the trip up.

Russ and Nat arrived just as I was preparing Lock No 8.  As soon as the boat was at the top, Russ chucked his Dad off and insisted on driving the next one – Rog got off the boat looking very confused.  ‘There’s something wrong about this’! he said.  Russ let him back on after he had had his little drive, so we had our muscle working after all! We made short work of the rest, and turned onto the Macc for water filling and loo emptying.   We moored just up the Macc, below the Ring O’ Bells pub and went for a late lunch, then idled the rest of the day away.

Shoulder height beams.

Pretty as a picture!  They were all as pretty as this

Rog heading off to empty the next lock

Lovely view back

Russ at the helm waiting for Lock 9

Lots of gongoozlers about

Today we cruised the Upper Peak Forest to Bugsworth Basin, I’ll blog about that tomorrow as we have decided to stay here until Wednesday.

1.3 miles and 16 locks

Hyde to Marple Locks…

We enjoyed our day off yesterday, doing some domestic stuff and washing the Anderton mud off the other side of the boat.  We had a flying visit from Anne and David, ex of nb Nifty 50.  We met them 11 years ago on their Millennium Cruise down to the Thames, and spent several days locking, eating and drinking with them, and have kept in touch ever since.  This is the first time we have managed to get together though.  They have recently put Nifty 50 up for sale as they are beginning to feel ‘past it’ (Anne’s words, not mine!!)  Unfortunately the visit was very short because David had an appointment at 4.30, so they were only with us about an hour.  We hope to be able to meet up again sometime next week while we are still in the area.  After they had left we went for a walk and found a geocache.

This morning we set off for the short trip to the bottom of Marple Locks, stopping at Romiley to stock up on supplies.   We had quite a bit of rain this morning, and got a bit wet! We will start up the locks tomorrow morning and await the arrival of Russ and Nat on a hastily arranged visit after realising that they would be in the general area visiting friends for the weekend.  Russ arrived back from his aircraft-guarding duties in Italy on Wednesday.  We will be glad of some muscle up these locks as, although a beautiful flight, the paddle gear is very stiff.

We went for a walk halfway up the locks this afternoon to suss them out, and helped a single hander up a couple.  There are no rings or bollards between the locks for him to tie up to, so he is having to go and prep the next lock and open the gates before he can leave the previous one – very hard work for him!

Narrows on the approach to Marple Locks

Another aqueduct, another viaduct

Above the treetops from the centre of the aqueduct – the River Goyt 100 ft below

One of the locks

View back from Lock 7 with the single hander in the lock below

Visitor moorings below Lock 1 – they leave a lot to be desired!  The bit you can’t see the other side of the boat has no bank!

3.5 miles and 0 locks

The Ashton Flight…

really doesn’t have a lot to recommend it – 18 urban locks in grotty surroundings, every paddle gear requiring unlocking with a ‘T’ shaped ‘handcuff’ key, and all the locks against us bar one or two with really leaky bottom gates.  We didn’t pass a soul coming down.  So that’s 18 locks, 4 lots of unlocking and unlocking of paddle gear – and walking around the lock each time as there is no plank on the top gates (elfin’ safety!’) – you do the maths ‘cos I’m too knackered!  Although, to give him his due, Rog did work a few of them and a swing bridge!  After doing the 9 unpleasant locks yesterday as well, I was glad to see the back of Manchester – I don’t think we will be coming back this way again!  However, we did have a good meal in a Chinese Buffet last night with the Cutweb crowd, so that is some consolation.  It was almost back at Castlefield though, so we had quite a walk – we returned via the towpath where there was one, and walked the length of Canal Street – we saw some strange sights along there, I can tell you!!

We managed to water and empty loos at the top of the flight, and continued on to the Peak Forest Canal.  We are now moored just between Hyde and Romiley, and will probably have a day off tomorrow before we tackle the 16 locks in the Marple Flight.

City of Manchester Stadium – built for the Commonwealth Games, no used by Manchester City FC

First goslings spotted

Rog working one of the locks

Hooray – the last lock done!

Duckinfield Junction onto the Peak Forest Canal

9.7 miles and 18 locks

Rochdale 9 conquered–alone…

We set off from Castlefield at 8am this morning to beat the rush – we knew that 6 boats on a Cutweb Internet Boating Club gig were following us up at 10am and we wanted to be sure of a mooring at Piccadilly.  Sadly there were no other boats to share with so we did them alone.  I think this is the hardest flight we’ve ever done.  The paddle gear was often so stiff I couldn’t move it, and several of the locks had gate opening and closing mechanisms consisting of a couple of pulleys and chains as there is no room for a lock beam.  But we survived!  We are now moored on the pontoons just above the Ashton flight, amidst the Cutweb crowd (Rog has been a member since the early days when it Blacksheep) who are all around us.  They are a very friendly bunch, and they have invited us to join them for a Chinese tonight and we have accepted.  Just a word of warning to anyone planning on mooring here – there is no way out!  Luckily a judicious placing of a long boarding plank across a gap in the towpath under the bridge, and a very kind office building supervisor who had offered to open a gate for us has given us an escape path, otherwise there would have been no trip to the Chinese tonight!

First of the Rochdale 9

The world-famous Canal Street

Rog using the gate opening mechanism

The other end of Canal Street – a bar at one end called G-A-Y and this bar at the other – not too obvious then!

Subterranean lock

Cutweb gig

1.4 miles and 9 locks

Manchester photos…

Manchester Ship Canal

Metro

Pomona Lock –onto the Ship Canal

The footbridge at the start of Castlefields quay – often shown in Corrie

The bit where Tony tried to drown Roy in Corrie

Turning point at the end of the Quay

Didn’t expect to find this in Manchester – a beach bar,complete with sand!

Looking back up the Quay

Waters Meeting and friends parting…

It was with heavy hearts that we said goodbye to Karen and Ian on Serenity this morning, before we set off – we knew that we probably wouldn’t be stopping before we reached our parting point at Waters Meeting, Serenity to go left towards the Leeds and Liverpool, and us to go right into Manchester.  We will miss them.

We passed through Sale, and were pleasantly surprised, although we never mind cruising through built-up areas as they can be very interesting, and there is always something to look at.  Just as we were approaching Sale, we were attacked by a psycho swan, presumably guarding his mate on a nest somewhere nearby, although we failed to spot it – he wasn’t letting up until we were out of his territory.  He would accompany us for a few yards, then drop back and then fly at us from behind.  He did this again and again until we were clear and he no longer deemed us a threat.  Just after Sale, we waved goodbye to Karen and Ian and continued on our way into the centre of Manchester, to moor at Castlefields Quay.

Psycho swan

The Old

And the new in Sale

Long, straight stretch of canal through Sale

Aqueduct over the baby river Mersey

Friends parting at Waters Meeting

Old Trafford (cough, spit!)

Our mooring at Castlefields Quay

11 miles and 0 locks

Moore–Little Bollington…

Yesterday we continued on towards Manchester, stopping at Lymm on the way for a look around and a few provisions.  It continued to be very windy, but we still had blue skies.  We passed under the M6 – the M6 on a Bank Holiday?  I don’t think so!!

The Bridgewater Canal is very scenic, with wide-open vistas, and shady cuttings.  Just a pity that it has been so windy since we got on it as we probably haven’t enjoyed it as much as we might have, had it been less windy.

Lymm is a charming little town, with a brook which has carved a deep gorge through the limestone.  The gorge has been transformed into a park – The Dingle.

Having watered and loo’ed  on the way, we moored near Little Bollington. 

The M6

Approaching Lymm

The Dingle

First rhododendrons

Pretty row of stone cottages

Stocks and a monument in the centre of the village

The town moorings

10.5 miles and 0 locks