Leaving our mooring in Nantwich to go through the last of the bridges with nice wide bridge holes.
The section from Nantwich northward to Chester was originally known as the Chester Canal and opened in 1779 and was built as a broad canal. The section south from Nantwich to Autherley Junction, was designed as a narrow canal by Thomas Telford and opened in 1835.
A prosperous town since Roman times because of its salt springs, Nantwich was the country's main salt-mining centre until the 19thC.
The town was reduced to ashes by the Great Fire of 1583 which burned for three weeks. Concerned for the salt industry Queen Elizabeth 1 donated a thousand pounds towards the towns rebuilding fund. 60 years later its ungrateful citizens sided with the Parliamentarians during the Civil War, the only Cheshire town to do so!
We nearly rammed a boat moored on the other side of the canal, L was so busy checking out this wooden boat moored on the long embankment above the town.
The Nantwich Aqueduct. Together with the embankment (five years elapsed before it settled sufficiently for the canal to be opened) caused massive cost overruns which could have been avoided if the owners of Dorfold Hall had not objected to the passage of the canal across their land.
An odd choice of figurehead for a boat called 'The Name's Bond'
Miles of moored boats. Leaky taps are no longer Lawrence's bug bear - long lines of moored boats has become his number one whinge.
After crawling slowly past the moored boats, L gave it a bit of Wellie once we hit the countryside
more pastoral scenes
The hill in the middle background is Mow Cop - we've come a long way in four days!
Arriving at the bottom of Hack Green Locks, some of the deeper ones on this canal at 12'. One boat coming out, two waiting to go up. Nothing for it but to join the queue. After our trip so far, we are still having a hard time adjusting to the boat traffic and the queuing.
So while we wait for our turn I'll tell you about the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker. I'm sure you are just dying to know all about it!
Discovering the secret world of nuclear govenment. Situated just a short walk from the locks, for over 60 years the vast underground complex remained secret. The 35,000 sq ft bunker, one of 17 such throughout the country, would have been the centre for regional government (and who knows how many hangers on) had nuclear war broken out. It was declassified in 1993 and has since been turned into a museum.
Reaching the top of the second of the Hack Green Locks we see more boats waiting to come down.
Canada geese. I don't know whether the farmers get pissed of with them eating the grass and crops
Back to small bridge holes, but nothing like as narrow as those on the Stratford Canal
Yet more geese - and I wonder if they compete with the swans?
A good spot to moor
And then we hit the bottom of the Audlem Locks, a flight of 15. But we were only doing the first three and mooring up - if there was a space available.
Once again, there was some mild mayhem. Boats waiting to go up and boats waiting to come down. Plus the bywash was strong and made it quite difficult to get into the locks from the lock landing when going up the locks.
While waiting for A.B. to rise in the lock, I had been scanning the moorings and could see a possible one on the end just before the lock moorings for lock number 12. But then me little heart fell as a boat came down through 12 and nabbed the mooring, bummer I thought. Opening the gate to let A.B. out of the lock I saw a windlass wielding woman get off the boat and start down the towpath. Yay, they were continuing on and we could get the mooring. Such are the highs and lows of narrowboating :)
We were moored up by 12.40pm and Lawrence walked up to the famous Shroppie Fly to see if they were serving food. He came back with good news, but in hindsight, he obviously had eyes only for the charming and attractive waitress and had failed to take note of the menu. Lets just say it was typical, what is called, English pub grub - and was edible.
After lunch we walked into the very attractive little village to have a cup of 'the best coffee in Audlem' at a nice little deli whose lunch time offerings looked far more attractive than those at the Shroppie Fly! Having looked around the village we stopped at the co-op to stock up on fresh fruit and salad stuff and wandered back to the boat.
With the groceries stowed I was ready for a nana nap, hence L's disgust. While he was keen to tackle the next 12 locks, I wanted nothing more than 40 winks. Being the windlass wielder I got to have by my nap by promising as early start in the morning as L could manage.
6 miles, 5 locks, 3hours 40 minutes
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