Go to Allan's Page Part 1: To Gloucester and Llangollen Canals Home Page Part 3: To Northampton for a Festival Go to Deb's Page

 

An Award-winning tour in 2015

Part 2: To the North and East

 

sunset

There were glorious sunsets throughout the summer

 

As we continued northwards along the Macclesfield Canal, we picked up a call for assistance through Facebook. An old winding hole had recently been made available to the public again, and help was needed from a full-length  boat (or nearly so) to check if it was now usable or not. Accompanied by the lady who had led the campaign for its restoration, we just managed to wind once in each direction; however we all agreed that  if our boat had been those three extra feet long or had been any less manoeuvrable, or if it had been a windy day, or if I had not been highly experienced, then we would not have made it round.

 

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We just managed to wind at Bollington but it was extremely tight

After visiting Manchester we went down to the River Weaver (the lift was being unreliable so our return to the canal was somewhat delayed) and then back to climb 'Heartbreak Hill' on the hottest day of the summer. We started at 6am to avoid the heat, and took an afternoon break for a barbeque in the shade of some trees before continuing to climb the rest of the lock-flight; at least we were rewarded with another magnificent sunset when we reached Kidsgrove.

 

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A pair of working boats went down on the Anderton Lift as we came up ...
... and two more pairs were waiting at the top
Scrooge toasts us as we pass him near Armitage
Mow Cop was clearly visible when we moored at Kidsgrove in the evening
Another superb sunset: mist rises over the Trent at Great Haywood

We ventured up the Chesterfield Canal as far as Retford. After a superb evening at the Retford and Worksop Boat Club we had planned to travel further up the canal, but the canal was blocked by a fallen tree so we reversed back to the pub for the night instead. Full marks again to CRT who arranged for the tree to be cleared away that same afternoon, even though it was a Sunday.

 

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The Chesterfield Canal was blocked by a fallen tree near Retford
The beautiful sunsets continued

We spent some time on the Fossdyke and Witham, travelling back and forth and stopping for a wonderful evening at the 'Witham and Blues' New York style diner near Boston (and ironically even nearer to the village of New York). On our previous visit it had been just a quiet pub but now it was a busy and very successful restaurant.

 

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Lincoln had a crowded beach with even a Punch-and-Judy show
Looking back at Lincoln Cathedral in rather different weather
I found this lovely old notice at Langrick
These seemed to be the ideal craft for a quick trip to the pub (seen at  the 'Pyewipe' near Lincoln)

On our way back down south we travelled up the Ashby Canal so that we could try out the newly reopened few hundred yards at the end. The Ashby Canal Association have done an excellent job and we look forward to boating along more of the canal in the future,

 

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We stop to ask for the footbridge to be swung out of the way
Passing through the bridge we are no longer on CRT waters but that of the Ashby Canal Association
The first few yards of the restoration have moorings
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Around the next corner is a fine stretch of new canal
Passing the 22 mile marker; only another 8 miles to go
WRG were hard at work; this was a far as we could go

 

 

We were joined by our daughter Vicki and our grand-daughter Lauren, for a trip down the river Nene to Peterborough.

 

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Lauren quickly learned how to operate the electric guillotines ...
... and put plenty of energy  into turning the manual ones.
Vicki had a rather more laid-back approach
.The trains were running on the Nene Valley railway
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Some friends of Vicki and Lauren joined us for a while
Vicki was keen to teach her friend how to work one of the locks
The girls climbed to the top of the castle mound at Fotheringhay ...
... braving wind and rain in their desperation to get a phone signal
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The village of Wadenhoe is utterly delightful ...
The mediaeval dovecote is in superb condition, and is particularly impressive inside

 

Nene Valley Train

 

After our trip down the Nene we returned to Northampton to spend the Bank Holiday weekend at the IWA festival in Beckett's Park

 

Go to Allan's Page Part 1: To Gloucester and Llangollen Canals Home Page Part 3: To Northampton for a Festival Go to Deb's Page

 

All pictures on this site are © Allan Jones unless otherwise stated

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