We have a plan........Sort of.

For those who are not boaters, this may sound a little strange, but the last thing we want to have is any more than a vague cruising plan. The whole ethos is the freedom to go where you want, when you want and not to be given any sort of agenda.

This year we were late setting off due to my knee op.  The new knee is still recovering and so we do not want to push it.  We headed north from Crick, with only a vague idea of where to go. Today we started on the Trent and Mersey, heading north.  We have now booked in for the Liverpool Link later this month, coz you have to, but  we have in doing this, set ourselves a time parameter.  Not enough time to head for Leeds, so approaching Middlewich, we made a decision.  I had ordered some items to be sent "Post Restante" to Middlewich Post office, so we had to stop to collect these.  Then we made the decision to turn left onto the  Middlewich arm of the Shropshire union and head for Chester as an interim. We both love the city and the canal into it.

This morning dawned bright after the heavy rain overnight. We were soon down the two locks that remained in Wheelock and stopped at the services. It was to have been a quick stop, but fellow boaters conspired against us by hogging the water point whilst all of the crew, visited the loo!  Must be pining for a ceramic bowl. Anyway, we eventually escaped and continued our northern run.  This is salt country, the extraction of which has led to the subsidence, creating "flashes" or lakes. a knock on of this is that the canal banks have had to have been raised, but this has made the canal somewhat deeper.

Three more isolated locks in fairly quick succession were tackled, during a rather heavy shower. At least the rain was warm!  Middlewich was on the horizon. One more lock and we were into the town. We moored just above Kings Lock in order to collect my orders, grab some lunch and have a quick essentials shop.  At this point the decision was made.  This is a busy canal location and when we arrived, below the lock was full of boats waiting to ascend Wardle lock, ( or Maureen's lock, after the last resident of the lock cottage) with similar above it waiting to come down.  We let them get on with it and walked into the town.

The Wardle Canal (the shortest canal in England)

Late afternoon and the boats had gone. Lovely weather, so we dropped down King's lock, turned, ascended and poodled out of the town.  It was far too nice to moor up. We ascended the second lock giving us views of the beautiful Cheshire countryside and chugged to Church Minshull and the Shropshire Union Canal Society moorings. TV set tuned in so Ali can watch the "Bake Off"

Our mooring tonight

So starting this thread, I derided having a "Plan", but now we have one!  Chester, then back around and into Liverpool on the 27th.   After that..........?

These are two of our favorite houses on the canals and are only a few miles apart 

and finally ......

I have pinched these two photos from NB Leo Ian & Helens latest blog post

John having his hair cut (doesn't take long!)

Miles 10
Locks 9