Monday we  have stayed moored at Longport lake and went to the Middleport pottery visitor centre unfortunately the factory was on holiday and so there were no guided tours but still plenty interesting stuff to see  pottery .
On our way back we called in here butchers outlet a carnivors paradise and although they are really more of a  trade outlet we  got a few bits including some steaks one of which was enough to feed us at tea time.
Tuesday we are going to start our journey through stoke and on to the caldon canal.

There has been a bit of a gap as we have been back home for a couple of weeks to make a visit too York hospital and then Hilarys sisters wedding the week after (well fed and watered thank you courtesy of the G&D in the afternoon and the golf club in the evening a good do all round  .
We left our mooring  on Thursday and travelled down to Gurnett Aquaduct for our first nights rest , then next day onward to the Bosley twelve locks stopping at the bottom for a well earned nights rest on the Dane aquaduct.
Saturday morning after a little lie in moved onwards  a few more miles towards the Trent Mersey junction stopping just short ready for an early start on Sunday to tackle the Harecastle tunnel  2926 yards long  that took us just 45 minutes to complete nothing like as difficult to do as some people make out the lowest parts do require you to bend down to avoid the roof for a couple of hundred yards thats all.
Sunday afternoon are now moored at the West Port lake just outside Stoke on Trent went for a little walk to find a shop and do some essential  food shopping and stopped off at the cafe boat on the way back for a bacon sarni and baked potato  .

Our neighbours for Saturday night just through the railings next to our bedroom window

spotted halfway down the Bosley  locks funny place to park an

aeroplane

 A fantastic setting for a mooring

tboss in pearls and finery

moored up

round ).

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