Sunday morning moored just outside Poynton ready to move on tomorrow to the marina for Sybil to go into storage for a week whilst we are back in Yorkshire.
Looking at Google Earth yesterday I was surprised to see an enormous runway and airfield with the runway ending just on the edge of the village .
A bit of research showed that it wasWoodford the site of Avro aircraft (BAE) who over the last ninety years produced many aircraft there from Lancaster's to Vulcan Bombers but is now closed down and awaiting redevelopment.
I bet that when they overflew the village the noise would have been horrific .
Have once seen a Vulcan fly past at low level at Church Fenton airshow very loud and very impressive just for its sheer bulk.

This was the view over the Goyt valley as we came back down the Peak Forest Canal

While scuffling about in the adjacent woods I discovered this structure each of the stone blocks are around three feet long and fifteen inches square looks like it could have been a basin as it was level with the canal and swept round to join up ,To the left and below is the railway line.

But it had been used as a tip perhaps dredgings from the canal and was overgrown with saplings and rubbish

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Update for tonight ; we are now out in the woods a mile or so from any other living soul; its really dark outside,down hill is a railway line ,up hill another line ,  I guess we are on a railway island , the rain is lashing down and  the wood burner is lit and we have tv and Internet , really cosy .
When we arrived I spent an hour trimming weeds and foliage and gathering sticks . I feel that if everyone cleared a bit of tow path when they moored  the system could be a lot better
Hilary sawed some firewood to keep us warm tonight ,We have a proper little camp site.
Friday morning decided to polish the  Rh side of the boat , lh side was done a few days ago .
The canal is running at five hundred feet above sea level at the moment which means that it can go round the side of hills and along valley sides which does give us some surprisingly good views at times.

Thursday night in the woods near New Mills

Tuesday night in the country with a view across the valley to the railways

Operating one of a number of swing bridges we have to pass through

Quite a tight fit past overgrowing vegetation

Yet another moored picture ,this time Bugsworth basin

Last night moored in Bugsworth basin ,but this morning we had to reverse  a hundred  yards to the turning point after trying to turn in the basin and grounding on the mud this with quite a breeze blowing to make it interesting .
Then we went up the arm to Whaley so that we could say we have done it , no where to moor up there it is mainly residential moorings so we turned and followed the trip boat back down and headed back down the upper peak forest , tonight we are just below New Mills where we passed behind a sweet factory gorgeous aromas ( they make love hearts etc) Matlows sweets I did email them to ask if they had a visitor centre but got  apologising for the lack of one.

After a week now without an internet signal ,as we move further into the hills at last  a signal .
We have travelled the full length of the Macclesfield It really is a pretty canal very scenic as we head towards what I presume are the Pennines rising in the distance .
The last few days have been spent moored in Poynton ,although the actual town centre is over a mile from the canal as we found out when we first arrived while searching for fresh milk when  a " kind " local suggested it was a quarter of a mile to the shops so we set of down a hill as directed and an hour and a half later returned with milk and sore feet ( it goes to show there are some good people around as when Hilary stopped to adjust her  shoe sat at the side of the road a lady turned her car around and came to ask if where ok and could she help ) later we wished we had said yes as a lift back up the hill would have been nice .
After that we discover the local bus service with the geriatric pass coming into use again.
Last Sunday was a steam  and craft day at the Poynton (Anson)engine museum just the sort of thing I love
engine museum
I think Hilary enjoyed some parts but was one of  a minority of ladies there ,It was mainly men attending who proceeded around the site as the lady who through  an ex BR pa system announced which engine was going to started next .
Our next move is up to Marple junction , turn right and along  the Peak Forest to Bugsworth basin .

This is Poynton main street They are trying a system called shared space no real definition between roads and paths , minimal signage you have faith and walk where you want and hope the cars slow down it does work most of the time also there are roundabouts and junctions with no markings only changes in the texture of the surfaces 

Blacksmith at the museum using a power hammer

one of the engines looks a real Heath Robinson affair ?

Marples junction 

An action shot of a gas engine with wheels spinning 

After a night spent in Middlewich moored next to one of the main roads into town , we were glad to move further along the Trent Mersey canal for a  few miles on Wednesday , that night then  being spent moored at Wheelock which is a suburb of  Sandbach. Today (Thursday )we caught the bus into town I got my free geriatric  ticket but Hilary had to pay£2.20 for one mile!! , it was market day so was quite busy , another nice town to visit , with some interesting buildings , nice floral decorations and clean streets.
Tomorrow we shall start the first climb of locks , heading towards the Macclesfield junction.

To get an idea of the size and scale of these  locks see Hilary taking a well earned rest on he left hand lock beam

This was Friday night  and the twentieth lock we passed through , we moored  just around the corner

for a well earned nights rest .We don't think this flight of locks deserved it name of Heartbreak Hill as most of the locks are well maintained and easy to work

A salt works we passed on Friday just outside Middlewich

An owl sat on the pub fence at the Red Bull pub at lock 42 on the Trent Mersey while his keeper enjoys a well earned drink after a morning spent removing pigeons and starlings from a local abattoirs roof 

Double locks ie two separate narrow  locks side by side each with its own entrance arch there are no set rules as to which one you use so there can be two boats going up or down or one in each direction

This is a boat we moored near earlier this week  the boat was fifty feet with a seventeen foot butty behind so both could fit in a lock together.

The butty was originally a self contained boat  complete with stove and a single cylinder engine but now is used as a store and workshop , a sort of mobile shed I suppose

A foot bridge over the lock entrance with a split down the middle so that the horse can walk up the ramp at the side letting the tow rope slip through and pulling the boat into the lock

Saint Marys church Sandbach  with an unusual bell tower open underneath forming an entrance porch ,

After a week back in Yorkshire it is good to be back on Sybil although Enterprise did us good with a Hyundai 30i lovely car for the same price as a small A class , A meaning tiny , sad to give it back!! nearly 20G new 9G after 3 years now thats a drop.
Now moving back towards the Trent Mersey then turning right this time we will head towards the Macclesfield canal the first part of our journey includes a group of locks called heartbreak hill ! we shall soon see why.

Our return to Yorkshire was a bit of a food extravaganza , first as soon as we hit Pickering on Monday night we had to call at Eastgate chippie  for proper fish and chips .

Then Tuesday night see above , flat brisket with veg,gravy,and yorkies , yum yum .

This will be the view from our bedroom window tomorrow morning looking down into the valley , 

Flowers still looking good ,again thanks to the people at the marina , Thankyou 

Relaxing tonight , see our bovine neighbours for the evening .