Day 49 - when did the Shroppie water change from black to brown?

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5 locks, 275 in total.







It has been a day of lush, undulating pasture, long distance views and cows. And in the midst of all this was the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker - I just had to go and see it!







This place was a radar station during WW2 but was rebuilt in 1980 during the Cold War at a cost of over £32 million as a centre of Regional Government in the event of nuclear war. It was declassified in 1993.







Above ground is a massive reinforced concrete bunker with a 100' radio communications tower and air defence radar. There are two further underground levels although there was no public access to one of them. The old telecommunications equipment was fascinating, as were the 'state of art' computer workstations. The 4-minute warning would have been issued from here, after information received by the dishes at RAF Filingdales had been relayed to the Defence HQ at High Wycombe. In these days of inflated government it was interesting how few were deemed necessary to run/control the country after a nuclear attack. Youngsters were expected to find the Russian spy mice that were in many areas, although there was a large sign saying that there weren't any in the toilet area!







I had an email today about canal closures and stoppages and I had to check it wasn't 1^st April. Apparently during July there will be a national study into lock ladder dimensions on various canals!! How's this - they're very narrow, slimy, often in the wrong place and the rungs are too close together – end of survey.







We're moored just outside Nantwich for a couple of days whilst John returns home – I'm looking forward to wandering round this lovely town again.

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Photos

Like the name......
....would have been even better with a picture.

Overwater Marina
It's new and huge but there are lots of little islands so it feels smaller.

A skewed bridge.
It's taken ages to find one where the brickwork shows so clearly. The bridge goes across the canal at an angle and I still can't work out the engineering principles governing the lay of the bricks.

Hack Green images
These were mainly outside - the lighting was generally poor inside.

Nuclear destruction calculation chart.
Not sure if you can see this but by moving around one of the concentric circles according to different conditions the area of destruction can be calculated. More use for those planning to drop rather than receive the bomb.

Health & Safety rant coming up.
Men were repairing a bridge immediately by a lock so yes, there was the slight chance of something dropping on a boater depsite the vast amount of netting that had been put up. There were 4 of these large signs in the 150 yards before the workmen. Apart from the fact that we could all see the scaffolding, how on earth anyone can speed into and out of a lock is beyond me.

The Shropshire Union Canal Society likes things neat.
Little houses over the planks that are needed to block off sections of the canal.

A bridge they weren't repairing.....
.... see how the end of the balustrade is supported!