Anderton Boat Lift

Well so much for my intention to update the blog more often - can't believe it's the end of Feb already.  To be honest I've not done a lot of travelling due to canal closures and cold wet weather. It's been more of a holding pattern around the north west.  I did have a trip down the amazing Anderton Boat lift onto the river Weaver where I spent a few days in Northwich before coming back up the lift.

The lift is an impressive piece of engineering and dominates the view as you round the bend on the river Weaver.  The lift is the taller section to the left of the white hut, the section to the right is the channel connecting to the canal 50 feet above the river.

It is even more impressive close up. I'm heading into the left chamber, where the guillotine gate is raised, you can see the gate on the right is closed as the caisson on that side is at the top of the lift.

This is the view from the bottom looking up. The right hand caisson, balanced on top of the 50' hydraulic ram, is on it's way down to counterbalance mine on the way up.

After returning to the canal I spent the next two weeks slowly making my way along the T&M canal to Middlewich where I joined the Shropshire Union or Shropie canal to make my way south to Wolverhampton.

Passing the famous Shroppie Fly pub - named after the fly boats which were manned by twin crews and travelled 24 hrs a day to carry express cargos.

The Shropie canal passes through deep sandstone cuttings and in places the water resembles tomato soup.  I believe this is due to minerals, largely iron ore, dissolving in the water.

One unique feature of the Shropie is the extremely high bridges where roads cross the narrow cutting.  This is one of my favourites with what must be the worlds shortest telegraph pole mounted in the bridge.

Having turned north east above Wolverhampton I'm now moored up in Penkridge near Stafford where  I'll leave the boat while I pop over to the Isle of Man on Saturday for a week with my brother.  

The last of the winter stoppages should be complete shortly after I return and I then plan to cross the country on the T&M canal and then head up the river Trent once again to join the Yorkshire navigations.  I did consider crossing the Rochdale or Huddersfield canals but to be honest they are extremely hard work single handed, 80 lock in 50 miles on the Rochdale, and aren't the prettiest canals. Instead I'll come up this way and then travel the Aire and Calder and Hebble navigations which are much easier.  Following a few weeks "up north" I shall begin to head south for the summer possible taking in the tidal Thames through central London before heading west on the Kennet and Avon.