Last night on the Macclesfield Canal

The temperatures are set to sore and we return to the mooring where we saw out Storm Hector 10 days ago. It is such a beautiful place with views over open fields of cattle grazing. We whiled away a very pleasant afternoon relaxing in the hot sunshine, our little parasol providing some much needed shade. A BBQ in the evening eventually ended at nearly 10.00pm as we watched the sun sink in the west. A perfect memory to keep with us.

Tomorrow we face the Harecastle Tunnel again then we head towards the Caldon Canal.

Return to Macclesfield

It is very strange that the same stretches of canals look quite different going when going one way  then the other. You see things that were missed heading one way and views look entirely different heading back the other way. A change in weather conditions also make a big difference . With this in mind it has been a delight to return back down the Maccie .

Our return to Macclesfield was to  visit the Heritage Museum and to explore a little more of this famous silk town. Sid, having not recognised anything on our previous visit was delighted to find streets and buildings that he remembered from years ago. We learnt a lot about the town from the 1800's when silk production was at it's height and  there were over a hundred mills in the town to it's demise in the early 1900s. The  looked very different  from the town we see today not only with the grime in the air but also the huge number of chimneys that no longer exists.

The Peak Forest Csnal

The sun was shining as we turned onto the Peak Forest Canal and it was so good to see the surrounding courtyard bathed in sunshine. However, it was not all sunshine on board Hunters Moon. Sid was hit by a bout of vertigo a short distance into our journey. He felt very unwell so disappeared below and Jenny had to take command! As some of our followers know this does not happen very often! In fact never before!

The journey down to Whaley Bridge was fairly uneventful as we progressed along the canal  that follows  the 518 ft above sea level contour. The scenery is stunning as the canal twists and turns with amazing views across to the rolling and dramatic hills and valleys of the Peak District National Park.

The moorings at Whaley Bridge are set amongst heavy woods and by the side of a very busy road so after a stroll through the small town and a look at the Transhipment Shed that took a railway line and a canal dock and was last used in 1967, we took the short trip round to Bugsworth Basin.  We were unaware of the significance of the basin and really only went to look at the moorings at the advice of fellow boaters Ian and Jane.
It turned out to be a great suggestion from them. Despite the fact that the busy A6 runs right by the side of the basin it is a superb mooring.

The basin was opened in 1796  and it became one of the largest ports on the narrow canal network. It was built to tranship limestone from the tramway to the canal.. There are three basins, now used for moorings, but the site was closed in 1927. After much restoration it has secured Scheduled Monument Status and to wander through the wharves, down the tramways and to imagine the activity, noise and the hundreds of men working on the site is amazing. There is a small exhibition chronicling the restoration with some great photographs of the massive amount of work that has taken place to preserve a major historic  site.
After a rather noisey night ( the A6 is almost motorway size) we left the basin to head back up the Upper Peak Forest Canal to Marple Junction.  It was a wet and very breezy journey but Jenny got us safely back.

Marple Junction

Canal and River Trust new logo and signage! Why?

As we reach the top of the Macclesfield Canal where it meets the Peak Forest Canal we can reflect on a lovely journey up this very pretty and scenic waterway.  The weather has turned overcast and rather cool but at lest it is dry.  Quite a change from the first day or so of this  leg of our adventures.

However, summer is now officially here and so are the long June evenings. The hedgerows are turning more colourful with honeysuckle, dog roses,  rose bay willowherb, periwinkle,  foxgloves, yellow flags and many more that Jenny can't name, dotted along the towpaths, which are now dry and cracked from the lack of rain.  Better than muddy towpaths!

Lots of blossom on the brambles!

Should be some good picking in a month or two

One of the significant things we notice as we head north is the friendliness of folk we encounter.  Not just along the towpaths and fellow boaters but passers by in the villages and towns, the shop workers and even some anglers!

Clarence Mill, Bollington

The aqueduct at Bollington

Hunters Moon is moored up there

Here she is!

The little river Dean flowing through Bollington 

As mentioned in an earlier post we are unable to proceed round the Cheshire Ring due to a damaged lock so we will head into Derbyshire and explore the Peak Forest Canal up to Whaley Bridge and the Bosworth Basin.

The problem lock 11 on the Marple flight

Looking down the flight.

Maybe another time!

Onward into Derbyshire

Macclesfield

Entering Macclesfield

The old Hovis works, now luxury flats

One of our goals on this journey was to visit this historic town famous for it's silk production.  Back in 1997 Sid did some work for a company called Reiter Scragg in this charming Cheshire town and it he was delighted to see machinery made by this company in the Silk Museum. Derek, our tour guide, gave us a fascinating tour of the museum in the Paradise Mill which houses the only working Jacquard silk hand looms in the country in their original location.  We were mesmerised as we saw how silk emerged from the moths cocoons through to the shanks that are then spun on to bobbins and shuttles and then onto the looms, all of which we saw working.  Derek demonstrated how the pattern cards were designed and made  and also showed us the 'boss's' office, which was set up exactly as it would have been, baker light telephone, typewriter,  nibbed pens, inkwell and blotters and much ,much more. Sadly, we both remembered far too many of the items!

Bobbin winders

The original weaving floor

Children were used to wind bobbins on this wheel by hand

Sid at work 1800's style

The day had started very wet and cold and the afternoon ended with a huge thunderstorm but we were quite safe on our pontoon mooring and were nice and cosy as we had a low fire on the go! Our first this June!

Storm Hector

Unfortunately Storm Hector kept us on our mooring today. Although some brave boaters did take to the water we decided to sit tight and enjoyed a windy towpath walk in the afternoon.

On to Congleton to take on provisions tomorrow then we will see where we get to.

Mow Cop and Wilbraham's Folly

Hunters Moon hunkered down at her mooring 

On to the Macclesfield Canal - 'The Maccie'

We turned onto the Maccie this morning at Hardings Wood Junction after a smooth passage through the 2926 yd Harecastle Tunnel  - Jenny doesn't like tunnels!

Hunters Moon heading into the tunnel

The doors close behind us

About to emerge from the gloom

We found a beautiful mooring from which we walked across open fields and through a herd of cows ( peaceful ones) to Little Moreton Hall, a National Trust property where we stepped back into the  late 1500's. This stunning Tudor building built by the Moreton family has a quirky charm with it's crooked walls and wonky floors and a long gallery, which is the length of a cricket wicket ,  22 yds.  An unexpected little gem.

Little Moreton Hall

The Maccie passing over the Trent and Mersey

The sweet aroma of honeysuckle fills the air

A pretty bridge

Seems like another change of plans

Overcast skies greeted us today but we shouldn't complain after weeks of beautiful weather.

It was a slow climb through the Stoke Locks and we had a brief visit to Middleport Potteries. We plan to make  a full visit on our return trip.

However, we will have to rethink our planned trip round the Cheshire Ring.

Our change of plans is due to the Marple flight on the Peak Forest Canal, having been repaired during the winter and being declared open, has a big problem on lock 11. The sides are falling in!

So, no Cheshire Ring for us unless the CRT can perform  a miracle and sort things out before we arrive at the top of the Macclesfield Canal some time over the next week or so.  So, we will still explore the Maccie and the Upper Peak Forest Canal to Whaley Bridge.

In the meantime we are moored at Westport Lake , which is just south of the Harcastle Tunnel.

Westport Lake

For all your plumbing needs!

Day 2 of this summer leg of our journey

Sunshine all the way from our  peaceful overnight mooring to Barlaston.

Statue of Christina Collins ( in Stone)

who met an untimely end 

on the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1839 ( For Dave)

Our return to Great Haywood

It has been a busy couple of weeks since we left Hunters Moon at Great Haywood Marina.  With it being the school half term we had the delight of having our 6 year old, Emily to stay for a couple of days, then Emma and Kevin ' s wedding, then Sid had a hospital appointment, which resulted in us having to stay at home for an extra week for him to have a follow up appointment with the consultant.  This gave us the opportunity to get down to the New Forest  in order to catch up with our other two grandchildren.  So, along with seeing middle son,  Adam and making contact with youngest son, Simon we managed to fill our time at home quite nicely.  Sid has been signed off so now it's on with summer cruising.

We returned to Great Haywood in beautiful sunshine,  much as we left it. However our delight at being back on board was soon quashed as Sid was about to start his engine checks when he discovered the engine bilge full of oil and the engine registering no oil! We have yet another leak this time an oil leak.  Sid discovered a split in the oil filter he had replaced when doing a engine service a few days before we left Hunters Moon to return home. Fortunately,  he had bought a couple of new filters with him ( always prepared is Sid), so after a quick visit to a garage to get some oil a new filter was fitted, oil replaced and the engine was running once more.  Crisis averted!

Since we are yet again in the vicinity of our good friends Dave and Val we arranged to meet up on Sunday. It was so good to see them and hear of their caravan exploits as well as to catch up with all their family news. We enjoyed very pleasant lunch with a very pleasant couple of beers in the Clifford Arms followed by a short walk for Dylan to stretch his legs back to the marina.

Sorry Val!

Dave, Val,  Jenny and Dylan

Farewells said and promises of another get together, possibly very soon, on our return down the Trent and Mersey Canal  Sid and Jenny decided to enjoy a late afternoon cruise to take us out of the marina and start our trip north towards the Macclesfield Canal and the Peak Forest .