Monday 31st August - Audlem to Coole Pilot Visitor Moorings
Today we decided to move the boat down towards Nantwich. We set off towards Audlem and turned the boat in the winding hole before the locks then continued back the way we had come. As you can see from the photo it was very overcast and surprisingly windy, so when we reached the moorings at Coole Pilot we decided that was enough and moored up for the night.
We were quite close to the Hack Green Secret Bunker and as we had never been decided this was a good opportunity. The bunker stayed secret for more than 50 years but now you can visit the labyrinth of rooms and authentic equipment used to run this defence region in the event of a National Emergency. In the event of World War III the Russians would not need to occupy the British Isles to achieve a military victory. They did however, arm and plan to neutralise Britain. Should that eventuality have occurred Hack Green stood ready yet again to play its part to oversee the survival of Cheshire and the government, post nuclear war.
During one of my walks I found several blackthorn bushes ladened with sloes and picked about 600g with the intention of making sloe gin. When we are in Nantwich I will need to buy a Kilner Jar, gin and some sugar to start the process off, we shall then have sloe gin for Christmas!
1.75 miles, 0 locks, 48mins
Tuesday 1st September - Coole Pilot to Nantwich
We are moving on today to Nantwich, here we are approaching Hack Green locks. Completed in 1835 as part of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, the engineer Telford designed this stretch to be as straight and efficient as possible. By using long embankments, deep cuttings, and minimizing the overall number of locks, the canal company sought to compete with the rapidly emerging railway networks.
Below the locks is this winding hole. When we used to moor the boat at Overwater Marina this used to be one of our favourite excursions, cruise down the canal, through the locks, turn the boat, back up the locks and moor at Coole Pilot for a cream tea!
Once we had moored up, a trip into Nantwich in search of Kilner jars and gin!
3.75 miles, 2 locks, 1hr 42mins
Wednesday 2nd September - Nantwich
A lazy day, a walk in to Nantwich and some relaxing time on the boat.
Thursday 3rd September - Nantwich to Audlem
After a day relaxing in Nantwich, it is time to move on. We have decided to continue towards Chester and wind the boat at the first winding hole, come back the way we have come and go as far as Coole Pilot. This is Nantwich Aqueduct, recently renovated and looking very smart. Restoration work was carried out in 2015. The project won the restoration and historic environment category of the Canal & River Trust's Living Waterways Awards in 2016.
At the Hack Green locks there is a building which used to stable the horses that towed the Shroppie fly-boats along the canal. Running non-stop, day and night, with an all male crew they delivered the important and perishable goods, around the clock over the UK waterway network. We moored up at Coole Pilot and had some lunch but there was a tractor in the field across the canal which seemed to be running it’s engine in order to extract water from the canal so we decided to move on to Audlem.
A quick shop in Audlem especially calling into the butchers - Oxtail and Trotter - where they sell excellent fresh meat.
Sunset over the canal.
8.5 miles, 2 locks, 4hrs 30mins
Friday 4th September - Audlem
Today we have emptied and tidied all the lockers in the stern and bow of the boat. We’ve treated the bow lockers with a rust converter and will paint them with a special bilge and locker paint as soon as we are able. De-cluttering and organising the lockers was extremely satisfying!
Saturday 5th September - Audlem to Cox Bank
A lovely start to the day and we decided to cruise up the locks to Cox Bank. The lock beside the Shroppie Fly was very busy with on lookers and people using the pub. We had stopped below this lock to fill up with water and used our newly sorted bow locker!
The next lock along is this one with a very strong by water coming down the side of the lock and straight into the path of the boat. Unfortunately a lot of bumping along a wood barrier placed strategically along the left hand of the lock entrance, but not too much damage done to the blacking. The touch up paint will come in useful here!
We moored up at the Visitor Moorings above Lock 3 and went for a walk on the other side of the canal. A lovely view of Ella.
The walk took us into Cox Bank village, very quiet and picturesque, then down the hill towards the canal to the lock beside the farm which has a shed full of cakes, pasties and ice cream! So armed with brownies and shortbread we returned to the boat and settled down for the evening.
1.25 miles, 13 locks, 2hrs 24mins
Sunday 6th September - Cox Bank
A quiet admin day, catch up with correspondence and banking before lunch and a walk across country to Audlem and back up the 13 locks in the afternoon.
This farmhouse is on the land the footpath passes across and the brick arch makes me think of carriages arriving carrying lavishly dressed people for a celebratory ball, the carriages and horses being cared for in the stables in the yard behind the house. Bridgerton comes to mind!
Walking across the field towards Audlem, the large church on the hill visible on the skyline. This used to be a favourite walk when we lived in Market Drayton.
At the bottom of the slope you cross a little stream, beautifully clear and very inviting for Toby, he loves gently flowing water to drink and cool off in.
This is the Old Grammar School in School Lane. This is a grade II* listed building, founded in 1655, and is one of the finest in Audlem, second only to the Church in historic importance. It was used s a Care home for many years but has been sold at auction and there appears to be work going on behind herrous fencing.
As we sat at the Shroppie Fly, the large working boat moored opposite the pub moved across the canal, it is called nbStanton, built in 1936 and used to carry coal for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co until the 1960’s.
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