Watching the goslings hatch

 

Our alarms were set for another bright & early start, so the other two boats & us that had moored well after sunset, could get up the last two locks on the Ashton Canal flight. Our lock buddy from the previous day was on a serious journey & wanted to ascend Marple flight of 16 locks that day!! Our mission for that day, however, was to get water & find a nice mooring spot for a few days.

After spending 18 months on wide canals, these little bridge holes seem so very tiny.

We found the perfect spot just before the narrows leading to Marple aqueduct, with a view of the trains on the line to from Manchester to Sheffield. And perfect to pick up the solar rays too.

The towpath was quite quiet, apart from a large sponsored walk one day!!

The field up to the railway had sheep & lambs that bleated sweetly. In addition, there were several families of geese, whose voices were less sweet in the wee hours!! Nonetheless, it was wonderful to watch a Canada goose on her nest, right opposite the galley porthole. She’d sat very still, until one day it was quite noticeable something was occurring in her nest, as she kept standing & pecking around. The following day the gosling were peeking out.

And the day after that, 6 little yellow fluff balls hopped in for a short swim.

A few days later I thought our gorgeous little ones were going to join the huge flock. But I think the large group had just come to meet the new arrivals. The big group wandered back up the field & our little family returned to their nest.

A few years a go there was a concern someone, ‘could’, fall from the off-side of Marple aqueduct and a fence should be put up. The issue was reported in the canal press and all sorts of hoops had to be jumped through as the aqueduct is a listed structure. The new fence certainly doesn’t detract from the beauty of the view beyond.

It really didn’t seem like a decade ago we were in the Marple area. There are so many beautiful walks to explore. This little ornate bridge over the River Goyt, called Roman bridge, was a new discovery.

 

The railway viaduct over the river is so impressive. 

 

We really enjoyed staying in such a beautiful spot and on the gloomy days we crafted. John wove a throw.

 

And I knocked up a couple of gnomes as gifts

At peak times we tend to moor up at weekends as they are usually busy days. But, how could we decline a visit from our super crew, to help us up the 16 locks at Marple. They travelled over from Chorley on the train. Marple station has a blue plaque.

One crew member certainly wasn’t going to take part in all the 

day’s activities, as we cruised down the narrows approaching 

the aqueduct and onwards.

 

The day was fine, and the crew enjoyed the new experience of narrow locks and a horse tunnel. 

 

It was a smooth run until lock 14. The off side tail gate wouldn’t close properly. So, with the boat in the lock John gave a big blast on the throttle, to see if the wash from the propeller could blow an underwater obstacle out of the way. Indeed, an orange Loch Ness monster type shape appeared & quickly sank again, but the gates still wouldn’t close. He managed to hoick out the obstruction with the boat hook – a large piece of temporary fencing that had been around a lock repair. 

Once up in the lock, John & Lance popped the fencing back on a pile with the others, obviously waiting collection after the lock side repairs. We just hope no one throws any more into the lock.

 

The longest day ever

  

It was 10 years ago we came down the Rochdale 9 locks through the centre of Manchester and our first time going up. It’s fascinating seeing all the old and new buildings nestled together.

I did wonder about this fire exit!

The towpath has been removed through the nightclub area and there are pontoons for the locking crew to get on & off the boat. There’s no walking between the locks here.

The 9^th lock is under Piccadilly and is one of the most unpleasant locks we’ve ever done. However, it was much cleaner than 10 years ago. We were there quite early in the morning, nonetheless, there were chaps loitering! But the dreadful smell of human excrement wasn’t as noticeable, as it was all those years ago.

Immediately after the lock 9 we turn a sharp right onto the narrow Ashton Canal, no sharing locks here.

Just as we approached the first of the 18 locks on this stretch, the engine made a dreadful noise & stalled. It took John about 45 minutes to remove a tent from around the propeller!!

There were lots of Canada geese along this stretch.

The journey went smoothly until lock 9. A boat descending the flight passed us & the crew said the locks were really slow & wouldn’t empty very fast. It appears they hadn’t closed the top paddles before opening the bottom ones, thus draining all the pounds behind them!!

The CRT lads were on the scene & said it was unlikely we’d get up the final 9 locks that day. We had run aground as had the boat ahead of us.

So, I made a quick batch of apricot scones for us & our fellow boaters. John had his tea & scones sitting on the usually deep lock bi-weir.

True to their word, we had to moor up at 21.00 after lock 16 as it was getting dark. Our longest day ever, a 15-hour day. Although the afternoon we spent aground & weren’t actually cruising.

 

An unplanned evening cruise

  

We rarely loiter on the Bridgewater Canal, as we have a 7-day limited allowed on it. But because we were waiting for the lock repairs on the Ashton Canal before we entered the central Manchester area we spent a few days in Sale, where we’d never moored previously. It was handy for the shops and had some super yarn bombing.

Is this graffiti or wall art?

And what about the name of this narrowboat we saw in Sale?

CRT usually send out their e-mails late in the day, as they did to say the lock on the Ashton Canal had a temporary repair and was open for a few days until a longer stoppage for the proper fix.

The chap moored behind us set of for Castlefields there and then. He said he was hoping to meet another boat to go up the 9 wide locks on the Rochdale Canal and would hit those locks at first light.

So, we decided to follow him & be his lock buddies in the morning.It's unusual for us to travel late in the day, so an evening cruise was a nice treat.

 

It was 10 years ago we’d travelled this route, from Waters Meeting junction into Castlefields, but in the opposite direction. I think the Manchester skyline has altered no end over those years.

We had a lovely evening in the Staffordshire Arm at Castlefields, right under the railway arches, which we’ve travelled over many a time. We have never moored here before though and certainly plan to return for the allotted 72 hours at the visitor mooring. We have often walked around the area, but a stay would be amazing.

 

 The alarm set for very early so we could have a proper breakfast. There were 9 wide locks and then 18 narrow ones ahead.

The alarm wasn’t required as the geese were up way before us!!

While sipping our coffee there was a huge thump on the bow – someone's jumped aboard!! Look who it was, and the cheeky thing was nibbling my mint plant.

As planned, in the bottom lock of the Rochdale 9 just as the sun was peeping out.