Three never-been-seen befores

This week we have done … Bolllington, High Lane to Marple on Macclesfield Canal; then turned onto the Peak Forest Canal down to end at Bugsworth Basins. Then return back up the Peak Forest to Marple and turned onto the Macclesfield and are now moored at Higher Poynton.

We’ve had all weather this week (including a frost if you believe the man on the boat behind us !!). Torrential rain; gale force winds and brilliant hot sunshine! ….. And it’s been hot and sunny now since Monday - maybe Part Two of Summer ??

We got up to Marple on the Mac and then turned down the Peak Forest Canal which is even more lovely than the Mac. Very shallow though and a couple of hefty lift bridges and 2 swing bridges but no locks. Its only just over 6 miles from Marple Junction down to either Whaley Bridge or Bugsworth Basin - we decided to go straight into the Basin which, as it turned out, was a wise decision ….. North Cheshire Crusing Club were holding their Aug Bank Holiday Fun day on the Sunday and so it got pretty packed with boats from Fri pm with no space left by Sat lunchtime. The Navigation Pub also had a Fun Day on the Saturday. So with all the boaters and visitors, the Basin was rocking!!!

We had the chicken curry at the Navigation’s Friday Curry Night which cost £6.45 for the curry plus a pint of real ale - value ! Then on the Sat we wandered up again (well, there was no telly and no radio reception so what were we supposed to do???) and were entertained grandly by two chaps with guitars playing mainly 60s music.

Bugsworth Canal Basin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (County Monument No. 242), and is thus protected by law under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979. Bugsworth Canal Basin was the largest and busiest inland port on Britain's narrow canal system and the only one to survive intact. Volunteers of the Inland Waterways Protection Society (IWPS) have restored the site over three decades. It is quite an amazing place and you can find out more by visiting this website Bugsworth Basins

This week we've had 3 new sightings :
1. a pair of black swans while walking on the Peak Forest Tramway Trail
2. Mink swimming in the canal
3. A crayfish caught by Dai (and only one I could grab the camera in time for)

Today is September 1st and looking at Jandai Log for 1st Sept 2009 - this is an extract of what I wrote: Where did “summer” go??? Just before going down Stockton Locks (on the Cauldon Canal), almighty thunderstorm and got soaked to skin through the 4 locls - rain, hail. After we moored Dai watching John Wayne film on satellite but kept losing signal cos of the heavy rain. Had 2 bottles of wine then slept for 2 hours in front of hot fire before dinner

Since last blog we have done … 24 miles and 0 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 671 miles and 707 locks.

To view the following 2 pictures fully, just click on each one which will enlarge the photo