Macclesfield and Peak Forrest

After clearing Harecastle tunnel the tunnel manager asked if I would be kind enough to give a lost boater a tow back to the junction - about 1/2 a mile up the canal.  The chap had taken the wrong turn at the junction with the Macclesfield canal and as there was not room to turn his boat he faced a choice of going through the tunnel to find a winding hole (canal speak for a turning point) and coming back or reversing the half mile on a narrow stretch of canal with a couple of narrow bridges and tight bends.  Having towed a boat a couple of times before I was happy top help. However, I didn't realise how difficult it would be as he had no steering as I was pulling him backwards and his rudder was virtually useless. After a near miss with the first bridge I shortened the line and had to get him to correct the drift of his boat by occasionally putting it into gear and almost pulling me backwards to straighten his boat. Breasting up (tying the boats side by side) would be the ideal way to move him but the bridges were too narrow. In the end we managed to get to the junction without hitting anyone else, although he did catch the bank a few times.

My first attempt at towing a boat backwards.

After seeing the couple on there way I joined the Macclesfield canal and moored overnight just above the junction.  The next few days were spent cruising gently up the canal, through Congleton and Macclesfield to the top of the canal at Marple junction.  Although the canal is only 27 miles long I spent  a week on the trip as it was just too hot to stand on the back in the blazing sun. I tended to move a couple of miles in the morning and then again in the evening.  I'm in no rush as I plan to leave the boat at Macclesfield on 12 Aug when I head home to prepare for my son's wedding on 17 Aug. After which my brother is taking the boat for a couple of weeks for a family holiday.

One of the nicer waterside properties

Typical views across the hills to the peak district

The original Hovis factory in Macclesfield - Now converted to flats.

After spending a few days at Marple I cruised up the Peak Forrest canal to Whaley Bridge. A shallow canal which runs at 500ft above sea level with stunning views across along the Goyt valley. At the terminus in Whaley Bridge is Buxworth basin where the canal splits into a series of small docks originally used to transfer cargo to the Peak Forrest tramway. I spent the weekend here while the thunder storms passed. Thankfully, they have finally reduced the humidity levels and I am now back to my normal one shower a day.

Junction of the Macclesfield and Peak Forrest canals.

I shall now take a short break from the blog as I will be covering the same ground over the next couple of weeks. The blog will continue when I rejoin the boat at the end Aug.

Catching up after the heatwave.

Firstly, my apologies for the lack of updates over the past couple of weeks but to be honest it's been so flaming hot I have spent most of my time in the shower.

After my last post, where I had joined the Trent & Mersey canal at Fradley junction I spent a few days moving up the T&M and moored up in Willington where I handed the boat over to my eldest and his crew for a few days. Steve headed back down the T&M to Fradley and then continued north west to a small village called Weston near Stafford where I met him on the Monday afternoon.  The guy's had not only taken good care of the boat but I found the fridge held more beer than when I left it. Incredible.

I spent the next few days slowly cruising up the T&M through the canal side villages of Stone and Barlestone toward Stoke-on-Trent.  Barlestone is the only village I have passed where the local pub stops serving food at 6pm.  Call me Mr Grumpy but WTF!

On my arrival at Stoke-on-Trent the following day was pleased to see that the developers had retained the old bottle kilns as a feature in the housing development on the site of the old potteries.

Although the old potteries have been redeveloped the Bottle Kilns have been retained

 I was equally pleased to find the the Toby carvery not only stayed open to a sensible hour but also provided an excellent meal for £5.99 including four varieties of meat and as much crisp veg as you could pile on your plate. I retired replete that night.

Moving north from Stoke I faced the lovely Harecastle tunnel.  This is an unusual tunnel as it has no ventilation shafts, being designed in the days of "legging" a boat through the tunnel. It therefore has a very noisy extractor fan at one end which draws air through the tunnel to remove the engine exhaust and avoid boaters suffocating. It is also very low in places as you can see in the photos.

The wonderful entrance to Harecastle Tunnel.

I love the tunnel entrance - really feels as if you are entering a castle. The white chains hanging in the entrance are a guide to the tunnel profile and hight at it's lowest point.

Here comes the low section - Duck

 A very low and narrow tunnel. One way traffic, the tiny light you can see in the distance is a boat ahead of me.

The tunnel skeleton hiding in an alcove

Following Harecastle tunnel I turned onto the Macclesfield canal. Update to follow.

Rugby to Fradley

Ok, while I'm in the mood I thought I'd bring the blog up-to-date. After leaving Rugby on Thursday morning I had a pleasant cruise up the remaining length of the North Oxford canal to Hawkesbury Junction where it meets the Coventry canal. The trip was uneventful and I passed a pleasant day watching the countryside glide by on very open stretch of canal.  The highlight was passing this steam boat coming the other way. It has a very tall chimney and, as the name suggests is powered by a coal fired steam engine. I would not want to be in the engine room on that in the current heat.

The popular visitors mooring at Hawkesbury

After Hawkesbury the temperatures soared and I stopped at several spots, often in the middle of nowhere simply because there was shade.  I spent Saturday at Atherstone as I needed supplies and also because the next 5 miles included 11 locks which I was not looking forward to in the heat. 

One of many shady spots 

I plucked up courage to do the lock flight on Sunday afternoon and moored overnight at Polesworth. The last couple of days have been spent easing my way along the canal a couple of hours at a time culminating in arrival today at Fradley Junction where I leave the Coventry canal and join the Trent & Mersey. I plan to spend the next few days moving slowly up the canal to Shardlow where my eldest will pick up the boat on Saturday for a weekend with some friends.

Norton Junction to Rugby

I really am getting lax at writing this blog but be honest it's been so hot I just couldn't be bothered. Time to man up and get something written. After arriving at Norton Junction on Monday evening I had a rest day on Tuesday waiting for my old friend Pete Billings who was heading down the canal and we had agreed to meet up here for dinner in the New Inn.  I got a call from Pete shortly after lunch to sat he had cleared Braunston tunnel which meant he was only a couple of miles away. I walked along the towpath to meet him and jumped aboard for the trip down to the mooring.

Mr Bunbury and Pete's boat Hyperion nose to nose

We spent a quiet afternoon comparing notes on the jobs we had done and those we had to do on the boats and took Pete's dog Newfie for a walk along the towpath before retiring to the pub for dinner. As we were both looking to head off in the morning the post dinner nightcap comprised only 4 or 5 small malts.

On the Wednesday morning Pete headed off south while I headed north through Braunston to Rugby. Braunston was still busy, there had been a historic boat rally over the weekend and many of the boats were still there.  Here's a couple of photos I took as I passed through. There are old working boats which were used to carry cargo. The majority of the boat length is for cargo, with the canvas covers, while the family who worked the boat lived in the small back cabin.

After Braunston I moved onto the Oxford canal and had a pleasant meander through open coutryside before stopping at Rugby for the night.

Northampton to Norton Junction

Monday morning was not welcome as I knew I had the joys of 16 locks before lunch. As the canal leaves Northampton it meanders for around 3 miles rising slightly through the first 4 locks of the flight and then you reach the flight proper with the remaining 12 locks facing you one after the other.

Lock 10, only another 9 to go

The funny thing is that you soon get into a rhythm with a flight like this. Enter the lock and begin filing. When the lock is almost full and you're sure the boat is ok walk up to the open the gate on the next lock. Then exit the lock, closing the gate on your way out and move the boat into the next lock. Although this involves a bit of walking between locks, and I do need the exercise, it saves much time and effort being able to move the boat from lock to lock without stopping in between.  Having cast off at 8 in the morning I left the top lock a little after 12 which was not bad going.  I then trundled up the last mile of the Northampton Arm and joined the main Grand Union canal. Another hours gentle cruising saw the welcoming sight of the Bugbrooke Wharfe pub.  A short break was called far during which I refuelled with a rather pleasant plate of Ham and Eggs. Very tasty and just what I needed.

I continued up the canal planning to stop overnight below the next flight of 7 locks. Particularly as these are wide locks and are a pain singlehanded. However, as I reached the moorings below the flight a couple were just setting off up the flight and asked if I wanted to share the locks. I had planned to do just that in the morning but not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I joined them in the first lock.  After the first lock he asked if I would be happy breasting up - which is to say tying the boats together allowing one man to move the pair freeing the other to work the locks. Having not tried this before I quickly agreed and left him to manage the boats while I worked the locks with his wife.

Breasted up with Marsh Warbler in a lock

 I should add that the gentlemen had over 30 years experience on the water and clearly knew what he was doing. In most cases he managed to slip the pair into the lock without touching the sides at all. An achievement I often fail with just one boat.

And moving the pair between locks.

On reaching the top of the flight I moored up having done 23 locks since breakfast. After 3 long days I had planned a rest day for Tuesday as my friend Pete Billings was heading south and we had agreed to meet up for at Norton Junction for dinner.