The grandchildren are thrilled to be back at school, and we’ve got time on our hands. At the moment with the PM’s ‘road map’ we are just allowed to move for essential services. Things should be back to normal on 12th April, and we’ll only be allowed to moor somewhere for 14 days and then move on.
We did a trip to get water Monday, as the forecast for very strong winds that would make winding the boat pretty tricky at the end of the week. It was quite drizzly for the short journey and the sun came out in the afternoon, so we went walking.
We’ve strolled up to look at the new lock gates being fitted at the top lock of Johnson’s Hillock Locks twice this week (there are pics of them being loaded onto the work boat on a previous blog). The work has been delayed due to the canal being frozen a couple of weeks back.
Monday we saw the scaffolding at the new gates.
Yesterday the chaps were having to tinker with the brick work to make sure there’s a good fit, so the canal won’t be re-watered until next week now.
To make sure the lock stays empty for the workforce there are stop planks in place above the top gates and a rather large pump to keep the chamber as dry as possible.
Several of the pounds have been drained.
It’s sad to see how the old original stone work in some of the pounds has fallen into the canal. If I won the millions, I’d get a team together to repair them.
It’s shocking how shallow some spots are too.
Looking towards the disused Lancaster Canal, Walton Summit Branch. It used to go near Preston and the goods transshipped onto a tram to Preston. It was too costly to construct an aqueduct across the River Ribble.
View south on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from bottom lock & Walton Summit Branch junction.
This milepost has a tree growing around it!!!
After gongoozling for a good while, we strolled back through Wheelton and across country. We walked under a couple of beautiful railway bridges. The Lancashire Union Railway used to run over them.
Our wheel fenders are doing a good job of catching the rubbish blown along the canal. We took two sacks of stuff we’ve fished out to the bin today.
We’ve been watching these leaves shoot through the snow on the towpath where we’ve been moored for 3 months and have been wondering what they were. We picked some, and it's wild garlic. So it’s super to nip out for some to add to our cooking.
From the side of Heather’s house you can see Big Hill, on the edge of Wheelton Moor. Every time we leave their house I say, “we must go there”, so we did. Stunning views over Chorley and the Lancashire plain and south towards Winter Hil. It was quite hazy so we couldn’t see Blackpool Tower.
It’s incredible to think of the lead and rocks that used to be quarried way up there.
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