Tattenhall to Christleton (Shropshire Union Canal)

 It was another nice sunny warm day, so Kev went wandering over the bridge and up the road to find breakfast, he couldn't find any pigs or chickens, but he did find a snack bar in the builders yard and so we had bacon butties.  We then set off up the canal.  We saw a few boats coming the other way, but it was fairly quiet. There was a lot of moored boats in long term moorings so have to go slow past them, so that slowed us down a bit.  As you come into Christleton there are some willow trees there that hang over the canal and last time we came here they were right down into the water and you couldn’t see a thing and just had to drive through them and hope there wasn’t another boat coming, but we were glad to see that this time they had been cut and the canal was clear.  We moored up just past the Cheshire Cat pub.  There was a boat moored up in front of us which wasn’t tied up very well and everytime a boat came by, they banged into us, so I knocked on the window to see if anyone was on it and a teenage boy came out, I think I woke him up, but it was about 11.30, so he should be up by then, lazy tyke!  We asked if he could tie it up tighter, so he had a go, but not very well as when we went back in the boat, we were still banging.  He must have realised this as he came back out, so we went out and Kev pulled the boat up and put the pin in the front at a better angle, that stopped the banging, he was a nice lad though and was very polite.

 

It was a nice afternoon, so we walked up to the bridge and caught the bus into Chester.  It then rained for a bit, but not for too long, then it dried up.  We walked around the shops, found a nice cheese shop, went into the indoor market and had a coffee and a slice of cake for £2.50, bargain!  Walked around a bit more, then caught the bus back to Christleton.  Went and had a drink in the Cheshire Cat, it is a really nice pub.  Went back to the boat and just chilled out.

Cheshire Cat Pub

The Shady Oak Pub, Tiverton to Tattenhall (Shropshire Union Canal)

Moored at Tattenhall

Chugging off today, so got ready and off we went.  It was a bit overcast and windy, but the sun came out and it was warm again out of the wind.  We chugged off up the canal under a few bridges and moored just past Tattenhall Marina in the 48 hour moorings just before Bridge113.

Tattenhall High Street

Old House in Tattenhall dated 1607

Enjoying Cheshire Farm Ice Cream

Cheshire Ice Cream Farm

There is a village of Tattenhall about a mile and a half up the road, so we set off to find it.  It is a really nice village with a couple of pubs and a post office and shop.  We had a walk around, then went in The Letters Inn as they have a Chinese restaurant within the pub, we had a drink but decided not to eat there and went to look at the other pub, The Sportsmans Arms, we thought it was just a sports pub not an eating pub, but how wrong were we, it had won awards for its food, so in we went and it was really nice, we had a lovely Sunday lunch.  Suitably fed and watered, we left the village and walked back towards the canal, but first we were making a slight detour to Cheshire Farm Ice-Cream Farm which was down a lane back towards the canal.  It was a great place, really good for families as they had all sorts of things there including some pigs, goats, rabbits, horses, etc.  Entry was free and you just paid for the few individual rides for the kids.  They have over 50 ice-cream flavours, so we took a while to choose, I had a Baileys one and Kev had ginger, it is really delicious ice-cream.  Tattenhall Marina is just over the way from the ice-cream farm, so we took a walk over there and had a coffee in the café, it’s quite a nice marina, but not as nice as the one at Audlem.  We then walked around the marina and back onto the canal and back to the boat.  Just chilling out this evening and looking forward to going abit further up the canal tomorrow.

Calveley to The Shady Oak Pub, Tiverton (Shropshire Union Canal)

Friday 11th July

The sun was shining again and it was very warm as we set off from Calveley and on to the Bunbury Staircase locks, another boat called Diligent 2 came out behind us.  We got to the locks and the gate was open, we thought a boat was coming out, but there was a voluntary lock keeper there and the locks had been set for us, so we both went in.  As they are double locks and a staircase of two locks, you can have one boat going one way and two the other, so us and Diligent were in the top lock and there was another boat in the bottom lock.  You empty  the water from the top lock into the bottom lock and then the water levels out in both locks, we opened the gates and Diligent 2 went into the bottom lock, then we shifted over and the boat from the bottom lock came into the top lock, then Diligent 2 shifted over and we went into the bottom lock along side Diligent 2. The gates closed and we emptied the water out of the bottom lock so we sent down and they filled the top lock, so the other boat went up. This is called the Bunbury Shuffle and good fun to do as long as you know what you are doing!

Beeston Iron Lock

We chugged along the canal and went through the next lock.  As they are all double locks, you can share with another boat which we did with Diligent 2, it makes life so much easier.  The only lock you can’t share is Beeston Iron lock as the sides are wharped and its not big enough for two to share anymore.  We went through Wharton’s lock, then moored up opposite The Shady Oak pub.

Moored near The Shady Oak

We went for a recckie to the pub as we are meeting our friends from Audlem tonight and wanted to make sure the pub was okay.  It was really nice and the staff were very friendly.  We sat in the garden and had some lunch.  There was a peacock of all things wandering around the garden and some baby ducks which were so tame they took bread out of your hand, sweet!!

We went back to the boat and chilled out.  In the evening, we met the Audlem gang, Jane, Malcolm, Dave and Anth, we had a really nice evening in the pub, full of laughter and nice food, including pudding, Kev and Anth had Rhubarb Crumble, well thought that’s what they were having, well it came and they started eating it, then Kev said this doesn’t taste like Rhubarb, it tastes like apple, Anth said hers was apple too, and Malc said (he ordered the puddings) it should taste like apple as that’s what you ordered, there was no rhubarb crumble on the menu, we all told him there was, it was really funny, Malc want to look at the menu and came back and said oh yes, it was on the menu, but he only looked as far as Banana Split as that’s what he had, we teased him about it, don’t think he will live this one down for a while!  We also all sang the Banana Splits song when the waitress came to take our order, she was only young and I don’t think she had any idea what we meant, I think she thought we had all come from the funny farm!!

They all came back to the boat for a drink and homemade lemon cake.  We had a really fun evening, it is always great to be with them all.  We will be meeting up with them again in a week or so, that’s something nice to look forward to.

We are staying there tomorrow as well.

Saturday 12^th July

Lock Gate Coffee House

It was very hot again today, so decided to go for a walk back to Beeston Iron lock, about a mile back along the canal.  It was an easy walk.  There is a really nice café just off the main road with views of the lock, so we walked down there and had some refreshments.  It is a really nice café, light, clean and airy.

Beeston Castle

We walked up to the lock and sat there for a while watching the boat go through.  There was a lovely Labrador called Widget tied up on the bench where we sat, he was a rescue dog, really lovely, so we minded him while his owner helped with the locks, he was so well behaved, I could have taken him home with us.    Only one boat can go though at a time on this lock so it is quite slow going through and a queue often builds up.  We walked back along the canal to the boat where you get lovely views of Beeston Castle, it is remains of a castle, but well worth a visit (we went there last we were in this area) and just chilled out for the rest of the day.  Off chugging tomorrow.

Barbridge to Calveley

Bunbury Church

Geese coming through bridge

 It was sunny again today, but blowing a hoolie as we set off, we stopped just before the Middlewich  Junction to fill up with water.  We chugged on up the canal , quite a few boats coming down and a family of Geese who demanded right of way through the bridge hole so we obliged and let them through!  We moored at Calveley at the visitor moorings, they are nice sunny moorings just after Bridge 104.  Had lunch, then as it was a nice sunny afternoon, walked up the canal to the Bunbury Staircase locks and watched a few boats going through there, then walked up the road to see if we could find Bunbury Mill as last time we were here, we couldn’t find it, we didn’t walk far enough, but this time we found it.  It was closed as it only opens on Sundays, but we had a walk in around to see if we could see the water wheel, but couldn’t, so walked on up the road to Bunbury.  There is a lovely 14^th and 15^th Century Church and opposite the Church is The Dysart Arms pub,  it looked really nice so we went in for a drink.  It was about 3pm and we expected it to be quiet,  but it was really busy, a sign of a good pub.  It had a really nice feel  and was done out really nice inside.  We sat in the garden which was very sunny and as we were sitting there, a thrush came and landed right on the table, then hopped around the floor right by us, what a surprise, you don’t see many thrushes these days, but for one to be that tame and for it to come so close was really nice.  It then got chased away by a blackbird.

Bunbury

The Tame Thrush

The Dysart Arms

 

We walked back down the road to the staircase locks and a few more boats were coming through and a lot of them had no idea about how to work a staircase lock, even though there are clear notice boards how to do them, boaters what are they like!! Chatted to a nice man who lives in Nantwich and often comes out to the locks for a walk, then we walked back to the boat and chilled out.  We are staying here tomorrow as well, then moving on again on Friday.