Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st July; Barnton Cut to Anderton marina
Well, Meg was her normal self this morning and walking more easily, so we thought an early dash to Anderton would not be necessary, though we still kept her on the lead while she was off the boat. We were away soon after 9. Isn’t the mooring lovely? Only phone pics today, as my camera battery has run out.
We decided to go up the lift this morning if there was a slot available, and get a taxi from Anderton if Meg’s paw got worse. There would be space at 10 o’clock, and the lady on the phone said it wouldn’t matter that we couldn’t get there half an hour beforehand – just get there as soon as we could. So we cranked up the revs a bit, passing under Winnington Swing bridge soon after 9.30 (when we should have already been on the holding moorings). You need to use the higher end if you want to keep your head!
It’s not far from the lift and at 9.45 we came round the bend to see a boat just entering the caisson. The message had got through to the operator and we were waved in with a cheery greeting. The gate was soon closing behind us. Bye bye Weaver!
There was a splosh of water from up above as a boat entered at the top. Our companions in the caisson were going into Uplands marina and we have booked into Anderton on the other side of the canal. Before the descending caisson drew level, I stretched my phone out and took a snap of the chamber underneath it – I couldn’t see much myself being somewhat vertically challenged, and I certainly wasn’t about to stand on the roof or even the locker to get a better view!
The view upstream towards the park is lovely, but downstream is over an industrial estate, incongruously named Daisy Bank Lane.
We left the caisson, then the holding chamber ……
and were back on the Trent and Mersey. You can only turn right when you leave the lift as the left turn is too sharp for most boats; there is a winding hole (turning space) conveniently close if you want to go north.
Meg’s paw seems to be getting better all the time, so we pulled in on the 24-hour moorings and instead of phoning a taxi to go to the vet, Dave went off to Northwich station to go back to Manchester and fetch the car. Meanwhile I got out the sponge and bucket and set to, washing the rows of muddy splashes from the dripping gates of the lift – along the roof, down both sides, the gunwales, the cratch cover and bow.
I managed half the roof before it started to rain. I finished the roof and starboard side between showers, though Dave got rather wet on his walk to Northwich. His train was delayed too, but he was still back by mid-afternoon and left the car in the Boat Lift car park. As long as you buy a ticket from the machine no-one seems to mind if you leave the car overnight. Meg is almost walking normally now so we decided against going to the vet. All we can think of is that she stood on something pointed but not sharp enough to cut, like a stone or stick, and bruised her foot.
We went up to the Stanley Arms to eat. We had a very pleasant meal and a chat to the couple we shared the lift with.
On Tuesday we put a few things in the car before moving down to Anderton marina, where we have a very convenient mooring. Tuesday and Wednesday are good days to be here – there are no handovers on the hire fleet so apart from the staff occasionally moving boats around it’s quiet. We left for home at lunchtime.
1 and a half miles and the boat lift.
In our first hour on the T&M more boats passed than we’d seen during our four days on the Weaver. Back to normality!
We haven’t decided where we will go next time out, but it won’t be for a month or so.
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