A sunny day in Middlewich

Croxton Flash on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Middlewich

First of all an apology to Lion Salt Works. Looking on the net, I see that it may be in a bad condition now, but approval and finance has been given for it to be restored, and work starts this month.

Today was a special day as there has been no rain! We were very short of provisions so first thing in the morning we moved from our moorings 1.5 miles and 1 lock into Middlewich where we stocked up for the next 4-5 days.

After lunch we travelled up the 3 Middlewich locks to the junction with the Wardle Canal, surely the shortest identified canal in the country, which after 100 yards becomes the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union. This part of the journey was very slow as there was a queue of 5 boats at one stage waiting to get through a lock.

After 2 miles down the Middlewich Branch we moored out in the country. Judging from the weather forecast I fear we may be here a while.

We are now on a very different type of canal to the ones in the Penines. Here the canals are very busy, with boats passing every few minutes. On the Penine canals we sometimes did not see another moving boat all day. The Cheshire scenery is pleasant farming land, but certainly not spectacular. Finally we are now on narrow canals, where the locks can only accommodate one boat.