After ascending the sixteen Marple locks yesterday we are having a couple of days moored in town ,Although this does mean being in close company with other boats and people
today we checked out the shops in town and did some food shopping .

This head is carved into the key stone of one of the lock bridges but with nothing  to say who it is or give the significance of it 

On some of the locks as we fill them the water has to be let in through a gate paddle which makes an absolute torrent of water right in front of the boat

Here we are moored in company 

Today has been house keeping day , the sun has been shining  all day so one side of Sybil has been polished by me while Hilary has been cleaning windows and  cutting logs that I was collecting from the adjacent woods . last night was peaceful so we are going to stay at the bottom of the locks another night .
Not a single boat in either direction has passed us today but many hikers and bikers have , some of both stopping to talk to us but not a one of them was a compulsive polisher or log cutter , Disapointing !

Sunday night now we have moved on nine and a half miles along the Peak Forest canal leaving the city way behind thank goodness our mooring for a night or two is at the start Marple flight of locks sixteen in all which will lift us two hundred and fourteen feet up to the start of the Macclesfield canal
and eventually onward  to our mooring ready to return home in a few days time this means that we will have completed the Cheshire ring.
It is nice to be moored in the country side again no pubs or roads near enough to be a nuisance
The nearest house is a quarter of  mile away  on a hill at the opposite side of the canal.

The marples aquaduct with the railway viaduct next to it

this is the view as you cross the aquaduct there is no guard rail on the outside just a sheer drop 

the start of the Marple flight

Moored up for tonight with a nice rural view 

Sunday morning now ,well we did the Rochdale nine locks on Friday no problem really took us five , hours,covered one and third mile some of the gates were heavy but no harder than many we have done before absolutely no problem with the residents the only trouble we had was that we ran out of water in the last pound and had to wait a while as it filled back up enough to let us pass through .Friday night was spent in a secure area at the top ,,Picadilly village resting up for Saturdays challenge the eighteen Ashton locks these were a doddle really four miles covered in six and a half hours  again despite their reputation they went very well with no  serious problems apart from another water supply problem which I had to rectify by going up to the next lock opening the gates and letting some water down from the next long pound .
Unfortunately we made the mistake of stopping for Saturday night at Fairfield junction on the towpath side and were rudely awakened at one am by drunken singing and banging on the roof our only incident in all the time we have been out But no damage was done only a nuisance

Underneath the railway arches the canal footbridge looks tiny in comparison 

Heading up below  the buildings that cover some of the Rochdale locks not the best of places

Manchester library a fantastic place with books stored on many floors all the way around the circular building we had a look into the reference section on the top floor I could have spent all day if not all week in there .

Roadworks all over the city to install the new tram system

Flats built next to the Rochdale canal,little boxes but  not stacked quite straight

In between all the bars of Manchester

In between all the bars of Manchester

We have now jumped forward to Thursday morning.
After our spell down on the Weaver with no internet and minimal phone and tv reception.
we have moved on from the Anderton lift going through three long tunnels on the Trent Mersey canal
One being 572 yards, the next 424 yards the last being 1239 yards.
This then led us onto the Bridgewater canal and a long easy run up into the centre of Manchester where we are now moored for a few days , almost next to the Hilton Hotel , allowing us to explore some of the city and rest up before we tackle the infamous ascent of the Rochdale nine locks having already walked them we feel that although they do look difficult and run through some less pleasant areas of the city we will manage them ok on Friday morning

Moored on The River Weaver 

|Waiting to enter one of the Weaver locks

Now in Manchester city centre with many layers of transport canals at the bottom , roads next then two layers of railways on top

Our mooring at night with the Hilton hotel behind 

Tuesday
We have moved on from Middlewich along the Trent Mersey eventually arriving at the Anderton Lift we spent two nights  Saturday and Sunday moored in a flash (a small lake that the canal passes through these are caused by settlement from mining ) as it was too windy to travel.
This morning we descended in the Anderton Lift and are now on the River Weaver moored tonight at Devils Garden .
Tomorrow we are going to continue down as far as possible till we reach the Manchester Ship Canal ,
the furthest we are permitted to go .

Looking across to the lift we will soon enter it boat and all from the right across the bridge and be lowered into the river 

At the top looking down to the river

Moored at Devils Garden Tuesday night

Moored up Tuesday night

Locking down in one of the big locks on the Weaver

A View of the amazing framework of the lift

we are nearly half way down .

There are two boats descending in the lift this time

at least 30 tonnes of steel plus the water we are floating in

Friday night we are back in Middlewich for the night went into town this afternoon topped up with food at Mr Tesco`s had a browse round the rest of town but not much caught our eye

Coming down the Trent Mersey the lock side is covered with rust sediment and the water is rusty red with iron oxide which is washed out of the tunnel upstream 

Back at Poynton Good Friday courtesy of Enterprise ( we pick you up and drop you off ) really good so no car with us this time left our mooring  on Saturday morning and travelled down to Gurnett aquaduct ready for the lock flight on Sunday. Twelve locks down  nearly five miles and one day , tonight moored at Dane Aquaduct . Monday onwards to Congleton on the Trent Mersey ready for Tuesday twenty two locks and seven miles down to Wheelock for a well earned nights rest .
Wednesday onwards to Middlewich and turned onto the Shropshire Middlewich branch ready for our meeting with the safety inspection engineer at church Minshull on Thursday .
Fantastic , survey passed that`s it for four years now , £150 pound well spent  so turn around and head back to Middlewich and then to Anderton and the lift down onto the River Weaver to complete our tour of the river starting tomorrow  .

Today has been declared the first day of summer after yet another long sunny day , I went for a shower and shave tonight  and then  broke out the shorts , might regret it yet , 

We both are well sunned ie pair of red traffic lights .

Spring has sprung lamb chops on legs get the mint sauce 

This years spring flowers including Hilarys birthday basket ,  looking good 

A misty start to Tuesday

Sunset on Gurnett Aquaduct