Leeds & Liverpool cruise from Liverpool via the Bridgewater Canal to Anderton unfinished pictures to come

Thursday 8 September Homewards from Anderton

Bridge 206 has a good view of the Weaver below Saltisford Lock. Today, Liana decided to walk the three miles back to the car at Midland Chandlers, Prestonbrook, while John took Annie through the Saltisford and Barnton tunnels to Anderton. Liana got rained on, unfortunately. The shorter 400m Saltisford tunnel has timed movements, South for 20 minutes on the half hour, North ditto on the hour, because it is so bendy, you can't see the other end until you reach the middle! At Anderton Boat Lift, we booked passages down and up because there is Winsford Regatta on when we return, so the lift may be busy. You can turn up and use it for no charge, if you have a CRT license, bit booking costs £5.

A phone call to the friendly CRT Enforcement Officer gave us permission to overstay on the 48 hour visitor moorings while we go home to catch up on family, house, church and Lions Club activities.

Wednesday 7 September 2016 Runcorn and on to the Trent and Mersey Canal

Our mooring in the country just outside Higher Walton, near Thomason's Bridge, was pretty and not too noisy: Just a gentle hum of traffic in the distance. The fine day beckoned, so we enjoyed the morning sun and scenery, stopping at the excellent stores at Moore for milk, water and a paper. After a gentle hour or so, passing the Daresbury Science Park, modern and expensive looking (stainless steel benches overlooking the canal), we turned right onto the Runcorn Arm in the shadow of the large M56 bridge. Naturally, we met a boat! The lovely weather showed this 4.5 mile length of canal at its best: While there was a view onto open country on the right, the left side has been filled with decent quality new housing this century. We have to admire the way that the Bridge water Canal has been maintained, with good towpaths and painted cranes with stop planks wherever needed. We enjoyed the whole trip to the basin in Runcorn. The Waterloo pub is now a Sikh temple, sadly for the drinkers! The town is fairly ordinary, but ok, with an excellent bookshop called The Old Curiosity Bookshop in the High Street. Before Liana took the train from the nearby station to Litherland to collect the car, we found the filled in locks and walked up from the Ship Canal back to the basin. Strictly speaking, the “basin” is not the original end – the two sets of ten locks passed through the right and left hand arches of the blocked bridge at the end to a basin beyond, then down to the docks. Maybe, one day …..

John motored back to Midland Chandlers near the junction to meet Liana. Leaving the car, we took Annie through Preston Brook Tunnel (South on the half hour) and up the few inches of Dutton Stop Lock. Ironically, we passed five boats moored at the site of the 2012 Dutton breach, as the lack of hedges gave a great view of the Weaver valley. We moored further on, looking down on Dutton Lock and the Acton Swing Bridge.