Sale to Worsely and Boothall Basin

Up with the larks this morning (well 06:30) and on the cut by 8am - the forecast is rain today and we wanted to get a little way along before the heavens opened.  We were very grateful for the high, wide bridges here on the Bridgewater Canal as they enable us to cruise with the hood up - this is the first time we've done that.

the traffic on the M60 at Sale was at a standstill at 8am

not sure what river this is running under Barfoot Aquaduct

for all that this canal towpath has been updated with seating and information boards and is well used as I said in my previous blog post, it is not at all welcoming for visiting boats.  There are no visitor moorings anywhere and lots of signs stating NO MOORING and Private Mooring - such a pity.

there were two goats tending the grass on this long line of permanent moorings at Watch House Cruising Club

and what can only be termed as a scrap yard for boats just under the Edge Lane Bridge

arriving at Waters Meeting - right to go into the centre of Manchester and we take the left onto the Leigh Branch of the Bridgewater.

I went inside to make a cup of tea just after here and could smell 'baking' from outside; George said that there was what looked like a chemical factory, but I disagreed - and when I looked again at the map realised it was Kelloggs!

LegoLand - didn't know that was there!

approaching Barton Swing Aqueduct - an iron trough set on a centre pier.  When a ship needed to pass underneath one of these huge gates is lowered into each end to seal the trough and the whole structure then swings open - it was designed by Edward Leader Williams who also designed the Anderton Lift.

the central pier and operating tower with Barton Road Swing Bridge behind it.

looking back

huge maintenance boats just after the aqueduct swing bridge

the Ice Breaker Ventura 1906

the light house at Parrin Lane Bridge - a residential property!

The Packet House at Worsley from where long in the past fast  passenger boats departed

could this have been the Boathouse, built by Lord Ellesmere to house the royal barge, prepared for Queen Victoria's visit in 1851?

Rock n Roll on the town moorings for lunch - the water is now tinged with iron ore like the water at the northern end of the Harecastle Tunnel

Lots of information boards in this area too - this one made us smile though it was on the green by the Delph (see below)  - it states " The men (miners) were often late returning to work after the lunch hour and when the Duke (of Bridgewater) asked the reason for this, they gave the excuse that whilst they heard the clock on the tower of Worsley Boatyard strike twelve they could not hear it strike one. The Duke thereupon arranged for the clock to strike thirteen.

the brick monument in the park which contains a fountain built in 1905 to commemorate the Third Duke of Bridgewater 

The Delph; the Dukes mines - this is what brought about the building of the canal - 46 miles of underground canal navigation on different levels linked by inclined planes to mine coal

these would have been entrance/exits for the underground canals

the Nailmakers workshop during the operation of the Delph mines

Worsley Court House is now available for hire

After lunch and taking on water we continued north-west in the rain until we found good mooring just before Boothshall Basin.