Day 66 - my first sight of the Manchester Ship Canal.

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0 locks, 306 in total.







Up early again, in view of the forecast, but we needn't have bothered as the sun didn't appear for hours. It was very hot and sunny over the middle of the day but a lot of cloudy patches this afternoon. I'm not complaining – I'm very happy so long as it's dry.







The engine/prop was making odd noises so we immediately stopped to check the weed hatch but only found a few bits of grass and this didn't improve matters. After reversing a little way the problem resolved itself so we assume that something was stuck across the front of the rudder and was flapping around as we moved forward.







We motored to Thelwall and walked to the Manchester Ship Canal and the 'penny ferry'. The ship canal links Liverpool and Manchester and is built for ocean-going ships – smaller vessels can use the R. Mersey, which is tidal and shallow. The canal enabled Manchester to become a major port. All the railway embankments in this area use sandstone excavated for the Ship Canal. The canal goes past Thelwall, which was the original route of the Mersey. There was an ancient right of way going northwards from Thelwall and this is protected by an Act of Parliament, hence the 'penny ferry' which operates for 3 sessions each day. We don't know what the current charge is – rumour has it that it's still 1p – as we arrived between operating times.







Then on to Lymm, where we meet Sam and Esme tomorrow; there were some wonderful views northwards on the approach run. We didn't realise quite how popular a mooring spot this is – all the best places where taken but we're close to the town centre and you can't have everything. There is only road access from one of the 2 canal bridges in Lymm, which seems rather odd; as it happens, we're close to the one!

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Photos

Thorn Marine - Stockton Heath.
Building was once a fodder store, stables and staff house for the packet boats. More recently it was used as a morgue.

A canalside garden....
...and all they can do is dump their hedge trimmings.

Under bridge graffiti.
Very little graffiti today - this doesn't count!

Inscription....
... missing word is 'King'. Apparently the original publican got confused as Thelwall was never a city - it was a fort of burh.

Jenny and Stu....
... for a little consideration I'll let you know which pub harden has this!

Slitten Brook
Named after the slitting mill which flattened iron bars into strips for making into nails, tools and barrel hoops.

Cormorant at Lymm Dam.
The dam was constructed to carry a turnpike road over a sharp ravine - a lake was created in the process.