Limekiln Lock 42 to the Dane Aqueduct, Macclesfield Canal
Today had a touch of a musical theme to it.
UB40 with There’s a fish in mi bed what am I gonna do?
This morning a notice came through from C&RT, the locks at both ends of the Macclesfield Summit were to reopen this morning at 9am the level on the summit pound having been restored. Volunteer Ken had been right yesterday, in that it wouldn’t be long before they opened up again. Cruising Plan A31 could now be put into action. Just a shame that by early afternoon we’d had another notice from C&RT saying that due to vandalism and pounds being drained the Huddersfield Narrow was closed between locks 4E and 6E. We hope this will have been sorted by the time we get there.
We pushed off a little after 11am, there was just one more of the Cheshire locks to ascend. I decided to work the lock and let Mick bring Oleanna up. Then it was the 90 degree right hand turn at the junction.
Last time we came along here, we still had covid restrictions, a group of friends sat outside on their balcony bundled up in coats. Today as we turned towards the Macclesfield Canal autumn arrived. Wind and the fluttering of leaves from the trees, we’ll soon be commenting on leaf porridge/soup.
The boat yard just before you turn to go over the Trent and Mersey has gone, the buildings look quite dilapidated and no boats are moored outside. Looking down across to where we’d come from, no-one had taken up our mooring yet. A giant weed island was tethered to the offside bank by rope, just where we were to pass an oncoming boat.
ABBA with Thank you for the burping the wind you’re giving
A Heritage Hire boat was just going up Hall Green Lock, all 1ft 3″ of it. With double gates at the top the chap walked round to the other end of the lock to open both gates and then when closing them he did the same. A very long way round when you can just walk over the stern of your boat to close the other gate, but that’s one of those things you pick up. They had difficulty moving off, would we?
I reset the lock, the woofers in the lock cottage woofed away as I clicked the paddles up. Should we stop for water here, no we’d do that in Congleton instead.
Hall Green Bridge 92 is the first with the Macclesfield shaping. The bottom of the arch curves inwards towards the water and the sides of the bridge curve outwards to meet the ground. Lovely, just annoying that someone has moored their boat right in front of it!
Teapot Hall is for sale, and Rosie the boat that used to moor close by is nestled on a mooring a touch further away. I wonder if the tea pots are part of the sale? The first time we ever came this way we had another boat right up our stern, they soon asked to over take us hire boaters. We didn’t catch up the Heritage boat ahead, they were returning to base anyhow and I suspect our progress through bridge holes would be slower than theirs.
Tilly railings came into view, so did Ramsdell Hall. There was space for one more boat at the 2 day mooring, but we’d not travelled far enough yet to stop for the day or lunch. We carried on another mile or so before pulling over for a quick lunch, our stern not wanting to meet with the bank. Will this be the way of the Macc?
Beatles with Being for the benefit of Billy Tights
Onwards slowly. We always forget how slow the Macc is for us. Coasting through bridges is often quicker than under power. The big white wall of Congleton came into view, only two boats moored up. Over the aqueduct.
Now we had boats coming towards us, just as the bridges increased in number. These must be boats that had come from the locks this morning. I think by the time we’d moored up I’d counted ten.
The first and second roving bridges of the Macc. The first has a little grace with one path curving round. The second tries but has two corners to it’s shape, a touch too blunt. Maybe these were the first roving bridges on the Macc and they got better and better the closer they got to Macclesfield and then excelled themselves at Marple.
We refrained from topping up with water on the long straight and continued onwards under bridge after bridge after bridge.
We passed boats on moorings with views, we passed boats with reputations made this summer, we passed the mooring we’d stopped at for a trip to York Hospital in 2020 which was cancelled at the last minute. We were checked out by cows. The Cloud hill now in view, dark moody clouds surrounding it.
Did we dare carry on to the aqueduct, or should we stop before, there might be lots of boats wanting to go up the locks after they’d been closed for a few days. We chanced it and found plenty of room to pull into. The sun even came out and so did Tilly for an hours shore leave. Washed bedding hung on the whirligig making the most of what was left of the days warmth, then the stove was lit and we got cosy inside whilst wind blustered around us.
2 locks, 10.4 miles, 2 canals, 1 right, 1 island, 1 shallow canal, 1 hour shore leave, 0.3 of a sock knitted, 1 happy cat, 1 stove lit, 1 blustery night.
