Day 54 - onwards towards Beeston Castle

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5 locks, 280 in total.







Another scorching hot day. Hattie had her by now customary swim in the R. Weaver and we intended taking on water before heading off. There was a boat at the water point and 2 more waiting so we had a cup of tea and found the water situation unchanged – same boat still filling up – so we decided to go on to the next water point. As we passed the the one filling up I called out “How large is your water tank?” to which he just replied “Big!”







Above Nantwich is the original Chester Canal,a contour canal and one of the many canals incorporated into the Shropshire Union. The Chester Canal is much wider, almost spacious in places. We passed Hurlestone Junction, where the Llangollen heads off westwards, and soon approached Barbridge Junction where the Middlewich Branch of the Shroppie heads off eastwards. We decided to take a little detour at this point and continued north towards Chester so that we could visit Beeston Castle. We'll turn round tomorrow and resume our intended route. We were accompanied for a few miles by a very busy and noisy road but after Calveley the road veered away and we were in peaceful countryside again.







We're back with the double width locks again on this section, the first 2 being a staircase at Bunbury. We're moored at Beeston, a village that has lost its shop, Post Office and pub in the last few years. Actually shops are non-existent along this whole stretch, which has rather caught us on the hop – perhaps we should have bought a more up-to-date guide book! There is a deer farm on the hill behind us but the sun is wrong for photos today.



Interestingly, despite being in Cheshire, England, all the Canal & River Trust notices are in Welsh first and English second - I should feel affronted but it's too hot.



First thing I did after mooring? -put my feet in a bowl of cold water. It was absolute bliss after the melting heat.

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Photos

Entry to the Llangollen.....
.... through 4 narrow locks.

How did that van get there!
This was meant to show the amazing mooring of a workboat - there was room for a narrowboat to pass but it was scraping along all the way.

Moorings - private of course.
By a large green and picnic area.

Bunbury Wharf - old stables.
Now used for steel work on narrowboats.

Tilstone Lock - keeper's hut rather than a cottage....
... even the door is rounded.

Landscape change as we approached Beeston.
Mounds that looked like grassed-over mining spoil but were actually sand.

Beeston stone lock
Huge shaped stones formed the walls.

Beeston iron lock
This is not in the original lock position after a major collapse in 1787. It was rebuilt in a new line using diagonal iron plates because of the unstable sand.

The iron lock again.
As you can see, the sides have bowed so only one boat can use this lock at a time.

Comments

[amanda]

Sunny Here Too!
Hello Helen, John and Hattie, Thank you for the update, and the interesting pictures. What a lovely day for messing around in boats! Hattie must love it jumping in and out of the water whenever she feels like it :) Love to you all, bye for now Amanda

[Dunlin]

Unfortunately it is not a good thing for dogs to swim in the canal - we've let her in the past if it was very hot and there's been no alternative. We've managed to find streams and rivers for her so far during this hot spell. Hope you're not wilting at home as I believe it's hotter there. Thanks for still keeping in touch. All the best, Helen