Friday 3 May 2019 Day 7 Church Lawton to Wheelock

Before we start today's log. Here is a pic taken out of the sidehatch yesterday evening

A later start today as I refused to move before having a shower and doing a bit of washing.
We set off at 8.30am and cruised 100 metres around the corner to our first lock of the day. No. 47 the first in a flight of 6.

Once again, Tim and Mike worked Lawrence through each lock as I went on ahead to set the next lock down. With all the locks bar one in our favour, we flew down the locks and completed the flight in 45mins.

The view from lock 48, beautiful Cheshire countryside. I forgot to mention yesterday that we left Staffordshire and crossed into Cheshire having started our cruise in Derbyshire.

Looking from lock 50 down to 51. You may notice the two lock chambers. 'Heartbreak Hill' with its 26 locks in 7 miles between Hardings Wood and Wheelock created, like the Harecastle Tunnel, a bottleneck for working boats on the T&M, so in the 1830's most of the locks were duplicated.

And looking back up the 'hill' to Aqua Beatha in Lock 49 which is behind the bridge

Lining up Lock 50

Tim and Mike close gates after L has exited Lock 50  (I'm at 51 with the lock filled and gate open ready for him to cruise straight in)

Beatha sinking in the last lock of this flight.

And then it is back on board, after descending these steep and creepy steps, for a short respite as we cruise the 3/4 mile pound to the next lock.

Garden 'art' at Rhode Heath

Canal side new builds at Rhode Heath

Canal side old builds at Rhode Heath

Soon, we were back out into the country side

Heron on the approach to Lock 55

I didn't take any more photos. Lock 55 is the start of a continuous flight of 12 locks down into Wheelock. So it was heads down, bums up with lock handles a twirling and thigh muscles a bulging. Besides which it started to drizzle.

At the top of lock 57 we stopped for elevenses and for L to shower. While we rested we were overtaken by not one, but two boats which meant, that if there was no-one coming up the locks they would all be set against us. :(

So coffee break over, we locked on down Heartbreak Hill, but now being slowed down by the boats in front of us.

At lock 60 Tim and Mike performed a tricky duckling rescue. Alerted by the cries of the frantic mother duck they found 8 little ducklings stuck in the defunct duplicate lock. With much patience and coaxing they led the little ducklings to freedom and back to their grateful Mum.

We reached Wheelock round 1.45pm, found a mooring and went to the Cheshire Cheese, a canal side pub for lunch. After 20 locks (plus, Tim reminds me, the several locks we helped a single handed boater through) we WANTED FOOD.  It was afternoon naps all round after getting back to the boat.
We woke up to rain and no-one could be bothered moving, not even to go to the Italian for dinner. I think we will be all in bed by 9.00 Such is the exciting life of the canals! :)

5 1/2 miles, 20 locks

I don't know what has happened to us, besides the obvious of course; in 2016 Lawrence and I did, by ourselves,  9 1/2 miles, 27 locks in 9hrs 30mins which included Heartbreak Hill! We were going up the locks, which is a little quicker and easier than going down. But even so ..........