Trent and Mersey to the Bridgewater canal. Three tunnels 1 Stop Lock.

At last, It has taken me three days to upload these pictures. This site can get so busy it is unworkable, but here we go.

After leaving the Boat lift we had to negotiate three tunnels that were only wide enough for one boat to pass at a time. BW have worked out passage times from either end and have put up signs with entry times. The Preston Brook being the last of the three and at 1239 yds allows you to enter from exactly on the hour to ten past, we of course arrived at fifteen minutes past.

As soon as you leave that tunnel you are on the Bridgewater Canal which is under the control of the Manchester Ship Canal Company.

Story time......are you sitting comfortably?

It was getting late on our first afternoon on the Bridgewater when we came across a perfectly manicured piece of canalside grassland with a walkway and accompanying benches, to top it all there was a perfect mooring place with rings for the ropes and a cafe on a terrace overlooking the canal.

D went mooching off to try to find someone to ask if we could moor here.

After being dragged off to the security building and questioned as to how she got into a secure government Nuclear research facility she was released back to the boat and told to be on her way.

Whoops!

Thinking on....putting up the odd "Private, Clear Off" type of sign would have alerted us, and as for "Secure" they might want to point a camera and machine gun at the canal.

Onward!!!

This was the next morning, breakfast in the cratch today for the first time. This can't be a Bank Holiday.
On our way upwards we found this interestingly named boat. I wonder what that means?

This proud old building still seems to be holding out against the developers.

This is its close neighbour, there are two of these and if you look really closely you should be able to make out a PINK concrete or fibreglass cow.

Sometimes the word "why" just isn't enough.

A lighthouse is the last thing we would have guessed was around this corner but there it is.
Passing over the Manchester Ship Canal on an aqueduct that can be swung open. The possibility of a ship large enough to make this happen nowadays is a very rare event. We would have loved to have been held up just to watch, but alas no.

We were however held up by these little yachts, this was at the Lymn boat rally, the boat with the banner on is right across the canal and is acting as a barrier to stop the model boats being swept away.

This boat was decorated with rope lights in the shape of animals.

Shall we stop and look? says I.

Not on your nelly says D. That's not funny.

I am trying to catch up now the weekend is over,

so until tomorrow (hopefully).......................