Bollington to Billinge

We left Little Bollington and Badger Sett yesterday (Sunday) morning; we need to keep going to reach our destination - Great Haywood before 12th August.

We would normally stop for at least one night at Lymm ...

… it is such a pretty town and canal side ...

… and the fish and chips from this shop are delicious!

A large swan family

Not sure what’s going on here - the boat being filmed is called Rif Raft.

When we came through this way in Sept 2010 Thorne Marine had been under the threat of closure by Peel Holding over 6 years and today they’re still on a recurring 3-month licence!

We had planned to do some shopping at Midland Chandlers in Preston Brook, but it doesn’t open on Sundays!

The heavens opened as we moored up here. 

I was surprised that the mooring rings did not extend along the whole of the wharf, I bet when the rings are taken boaters will spoil the hard-standing by knocking in mooring pins - I wonder whose idea that was?

A very pretty patch of wild flowers brightens the area ...

… and sluices …

… and Dutton Aqueduct can also be seen over on the River Weaver...

… and you can see for miles and miles ...

The weather forecast for today looked horrendous but it brightened up about 10 o’clock so we decided to make a run for it ...

Signs of recent subsidence along the way ...

… and the trees on the off-side desperately need to be cut back - some trees looked just about ready to fall across the canal!

 We need to wait 15 minuets before we could ...

… cruise through Saltersford Tunnel and there's an idiot behind us with no lights on banging about on the walls!

When we came out of there it was to a fine mess with boats all over the place!

 This is the idiot steering an old boat behind us with no lights at all!  There were boats waiting to travel through the other way when we exited and when we told them there was a boat behind us with no lights on, we were asked how far behind us they were - we had no idea - we couldn’t see them!

 A peaceful scene though as we look back ...

 … and another fine mess in front!

The Anderton Lift was not busy at all  as we passed by ...

… but the weir was very busy with the excess water from all the rain overnight and today ...

The Anderton Services were chock-a-block so we decided we could manage without the facilities.
It was soon after that the rain came down, and it rained and rained and rained ...

… and 6 miles (approx 2.5 hours) later George decided to call it a day and we’ve put in the pins at Billinge Green Flash with a view of the sunken boat.  Let’s hope for a much better day tomorrow!

A walk in the grounds and another blogger ...

… of Dunham Massey Hall ...

… and for a change we approached the park from the back this morning and came to the long view …

… which has this monument at it far end …

… and is in line with the ‘back door’ of the hall ...

… the fencing in the foreground is in the ‘ha ha’ which would have impeded the progress of unwanted nocturnal visitors who would fall into the ditch when approaching the house!

 The notice reads - 'The new visitor reception building will be heated using a lake source heating pump. This hole is for the ‘*thigumyjig’ that powers the heating.’ The note at the bottom reads  * not a technical term!  love a sense of humour!

 Commemorates the planting of a grove of trees in 1714

Golden wheat (?) in the sunshine as we head back to RnR

Nicky and Keith  had let us know that they were heading our way and when we got back to the canal there they were!  We’d planned a BBQ for this evening and invited them to join us - another great evening with good friends and bloggers.

 Benji and Binks, Hungarian Vizslas were very laid back - once Molly had told them not to put their faces too close to hers! ...

Three stargazers!
Great to meet up with you both again - see you further down south hopefully in 2014 - keep blogging!

A lovely evening out ...

 … with longtime friends Sandi and Mick at Oca Italian Restaurant in Sale - great to meet up with you both again.

 Just a short cruise today to Little Bollington - moored at the underpass with a view of the rooftops of Dunham Massey (NT)

Where it was possible to get right up close ...

… to the deer in the park!

Dunham Massey mill workshop in a beautiful setting.

We’ll stay here a couple of nights and then move off towards Preston Brook either Sunday or Monday.

An interesting cruise through Barton-upon-Irwell

 Leaving our mooring at Boothstown just after 8 this morning ...

 … and passing Worsley Lighthouse just after 9.

 Barton Swing Bridge next and we have to wait for a boat to come through.  As we were crossing a chap stuck his head out of a building on the bridge to say that we’d timed it right … another two minutes and we’d have had to stop as he was about to swing the bridge to allow a dredger to pass!

Barton Swing Aqueduct is a Grade II listed building and is the first and only swing aqueduct in the world!

 I looked back to the platform swinging across the canal to enable the operator to get to the other side.  We pulled over as soon as we were across and I went with my trusty camera up onto the walkway to watch the operation.

 The operator has crossed the platform to the control building and is operating the gates to close the trough at both ends, he’s turning a handle (much like we would with a windlass) ...

 … and the aqueduct starts to move  ….

 … over the Manchester Ship Canal ...

 … and it’s now in the open position

The operative has now gone to Barton Road Bridge will not start to swing the bridge until the last minute ...

 Two narrowboats are now waiting on the other side of the aqueduct

 A drip tray under the end of the open aqueduct!

 The Road Bridge starts to swing ...

 … an amazing sight! ...

 … nearly there ...

 Barton Road Bridge and Barton Swing Aqueduct are now both in the open position

 The lovely spire of Christ Church Patricroft as I wait for the dredger ...

 … and here she comes ...

 It’s the Sospan-Dau (click for info and current location)

 … and there she goes along the Manchester Ship Canal - very exciting as we’ve never seen this before!

 The smell was like baking bread as we passed Kellogs but not so pleasant a moment later as we passed  the Biffa site!

 When we came this way on our journey into Liverpool two police motor cyclists were tearing along the towpath and up the steps over the Kellogs Arm bridge!

 Arriving at Waters Meeting - it’s left for Manchester and right for us ...

St Ann's Church at Stretford from the Bridgewater Canal.

11:45 and we’re moored for the night at Sale to meet up with long-time friends Sandy and Mick for an Italian meal at Oca in the square to the right of the picture above - looking forward to that!