After breakfast, as I started to get ready for cast off, Lawrence sat back down, opened the computer and we weren't going anywhere until he had watched Insiders!
We eventually cast off at 8.50am
Saying goodbye to our rural mooring we cruised past the old farm buildings, some now looking rather derelict.
And on past Ramsdell Hall, still in private ownership I believe
whose lawns sweep down to the canal
No, these are not an English version of glamping tents as L suggested (everything in England is so small, he says). Unfortunately the are veal raising huts. Little calves are packed in each and hand raised, never allowed to get out in the sun and run around. got to keep their muscles nice and tender and the meat pale don't you know :(
The cast iron railing was originally installed to enhance the vista for the residents of Ramsdell Hall, the canal acting as a ha ha
The Rhodies, of which there are lots along certain parts of the canal system, having gone feral over here, are about to come out in all their glory
No more pics for awhile, Our little home away from home, not having felt the beneficial effects of a vacuum cleaner since Tim's departure, and requiring the engine to be running while in use, I took the time before the locks began of giving the interior of A.B. a thorough pounding, which unlike Tradewinds, didn't take too long!
We went through the stop lock that denotes the end of the Macclesfield Canal and the start of the Trent and Mersey. Shortly afterwards we sailed over the aqueduct which crosses the T&M proper and looped south
before encountering the iron rich water of the T&M (we are only a few hundred metres north of the Harecastle Tunnel portal) which indicated the tricky turn onto the T&M proper was upon us
Sign post opposite the junction. No pics of the turn, we didn't do so well, an nearly got jammed across the canal, so some manual pushing and shoving was required
And then it was into the lock the denotes the start (or finished depending in which direction one is travelling) Heartbreak Hill.
Being the only boat, as far as we knew, going down, and quite a few coming up, all the locks were set in our favour and we worked steadily to take advantage of our luck.
The view from Lock 48. If you check out Day 7 of the diary you will see a similar pic and note the changes in the forest in a month
Also from lock 48, the hill in the background on the right is Mow Cop under whose flanks we moored the two previous nights. And from where we traveled west down the Mac and north on the T&M
Last lock before lunch, no 52 and L hoovering while I lower the paddles and close the gates behind him and then dance nimbly down the steps to leap onto the back of the boat!!
Finishing the first portion of Heart Break Hill by 12.30 we cruised on down to Rhode Heath and moored up opposite the house with the donkey (see Day 7 - I'm sure I would have snapped a pic of him). We were firmly secured (no more poisonous little boys are going to undo my mooring line! - well not in a hurry at any rate) by 1.00pm and a few minutes latter we were walking down the towpath to the very conveniently placed pub for Sunday Roast, not great - but I've fed people worse - but plenty of veg. Shouldn't complain it cost GBP9.95 for two courses and we came away stuffed to the gills.
Feeling like one does after Christmas Lunch, instead of cruising on as planned we had to retire for a nana nap.
We didn't wake till 5.30pm which put paid to any thoughts of moving on, so we are still here looking at the donkey.
That 'orrible man, Donald Trump arrives tomorrow (or really today as I'm standing on the back of the boat at 6.00am in the morning freezing my tits off doing this blog, because strangely enough this is the worst internet reception we've had so far). None of the natives we have overheard so far have a good thing to say about him, and most say the Queen shouldn't be receiving him. Lots of protests organised for the day.
8 miles, 13 locks , 4hours 10mins
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