Cruising the " Cheshire Ring "

we so enjoyed our canal boat holiday last year we decided to do it again .
So we are going to cruise the "Cheshire Ring " starting from Anderson Boat Hire in Middlewich on a beautiful July afternoon we head off on the Trent and Mersey canal.
Just before reaching Harecastle Tunnel we turn onto the Macclesfield Canal, this is a much narrower canal but very pretty scenery.

                                                                     Ramsdell Hall

                                                                              Mow Cop
You can just about make out the image of Mow Cop on the hillside , we walked along this stretch of canal and up to Mow Cop just a few weeks ago.

                         There are pretty bridges , cottages and fields all along this stretch of canal.

We moor for the night at Higher Poynton and have much needed refreshment at the Miners Arms which was a lovely country public house , as we sat outside we were treated to a pony and trap passing by ,
 so country :)
We leave Macclesfield Canal and turn on to the Peak Forest Canal , where we are met with the Marple flight of 16 locks ....nice ..

                                    Half way through .. time for a sit and pose for the camera :)

We are advised it best to go through Manchester all in one day ,so we spend the night at Portland Basin.
Next morning we set off at 6am , and start the Rochdale canal to travel through Manchester city centre.
It just happens to be the hottest day of 2013 and we have a massive 27 locks to navigate !!!!

 Manchester City Football Club

                                                               Cycling Velodrome

                                                                     Canal Street

                                                     The last lock at Castlefield Basin
      We stay the night in the Castlefield Basin , it is a hot balmy night and the bars are all buzzing

                                                lights coming on as evening approaches


We can sigh with relieve , we are on the Bridgewater canal and NO LOCKS :):) all the hard work has been done :):)

We Cruise through Sale ,Lymm, Stockton Heath, Preston Book ,Northwich and back to base in Middlewich :)

                                               the mighty Manchester United Football Club

                                               Looking across to Norton Priory -Runcorn


                                        Cheshire Ring complete :):) and all in one week :)

                                              and one large friend made :):) Lucy the Great Dane.

Cheshire Show 2013

It has been a lovely warm sunny day here in Cheshire for a great show.
We decided to take Honey with us this year , she loved it .

                                                                Give us a kiss x

Anything and everything connected to the country side from sheep, cows, hens to crafts and food are here.
Lots of competition in the show ring for Horses too.

                                                               Mothers and foal

                                                            Side saddle ..... a bygone age

                                                                   Very elegant
                      
                         It`s not just animals on show , fantastic bands put on a show for us all as well.

                                                                  

Just as we were leaving , we spotted the couple who present our local BBC news show , Northwest Tonight , Annabel Tiffin and Roger Johnson , we couldn't resist asking for pictures , and they were happy to oblige , they were a lovely couple.

                                                               Fab day out :):):)

Lancashire - Haskayne

We have popped over the border today into Lancashire.
The walk takes in part of the" Trans pennine Trail "and the "Leeds and Liverpool canal".
Our guide book tells us we can park at the Ship Inn ,but there is a notice advising "parking for patrons only " so we decide against this and find suitable parking in the village just a short drive further .
It is a very flat route , so lots can be seen for miles ahead.
We walk through the village and head for the signs "Cheshire Lines " we now know that this is so named because the railway used to run here and it is now part of the Trans Pennine Trail.It is a lovely sunny day and the route is just nicely busy with walkers and cyclists.
The trail eventually leads us towards the Leeds and Liverpool canal, there are lots of canal boats moored up but not many passing us .
   

             Half way through our walk we come across a beautiful ruin of St Catherine`s Chapel

                                Next to the chapel ruins is a oldie worldly pub " The Scotch Piper"

We always take a picnic with us on our walks as you can never be too sure that there will be places to get food and drinks , but today we finish our 8 mile walk with a welcome break at the "Ship Inn"

                                                We will definitely do this gentle walk again :)

Messing about by the river......

Messing about by the river .... the river Weaver that is.
We start our walk today along the river Weaver at Hartford near Northwich.We parked at a large lay-by and picnic area.
The first woodland sight we came across was a carpet of bluebells stretching out before us with the air full of the onion smell of wood anemones, it was so tranquil.

                                                                        Bluebells

                                                                    wood anemones

Even though the weather has been dry of late ,Honey still managed to find a lovely wet muddy patch :)

After walking through the woodland we eventually meet the river Weaver where we cross a bridge which narrow boats travel under whilst navigating the Weaver.

We met all the usual wild birds along our walk, Swans ,Moorhens, Ducks and fantastic scenery

                                                So , we have yet again found an amazing walk :)

Flight of Locks

Well the weather wasn`t that brilliant for a May time of year , but if we wait for perfect timing we would never do anything, so boots on and waterproof coats and off we go , the wet weather certainly doesn`t worry Honey ....
We love to walk along side the canals and rivers ,something very relaxing about it, so we are heading towards Nantwich and a village called Audlem.
We cruised the Four Counties circular canal route 2 years ago and there are a flight of 15 locks one after the other just by the Shroppie Fly and Bridge public houses ,it took two and a half hours to navigate on the canal boat ,and about fifteen minutes to walk today on the canal towpath.
We started our walk from the car park in the centre of Audlem and then followed public footpaths across fields and eventually met up with the Shropshire Union canal which we then headed back towards our starting point.
The walk was about five miles and took about two and a half hours at a leisurely pace.

                                                               Beautiful Audlem Church

                                                       Pretty old fashioned coffee shop :)

                                                        Bridge on the Shropshire  Union Canal

                                                    Looking up the Audlem flight of locks

                                                               Reaching the bottom

                     well earned drink for the boaters at the bottom in the Shroppie Fly public house :)

One dog went to Mow .....

One dog went to Mow ..... Mow Cop that is ..... :)
Our walk today took us to Congleton , parking the car at the National Trust property Little Morton Hall which is just fantastic.

                                                             Little Morton Hall

We left the car park and joined a public footpath which lead us to the Macclesfield Canal.

We left the canal tow path and joined a part of the "Gritstone Trail" which too us through the village of Mow Cop and up to the folly land mark.

The views were definitely worth the climb, you certainly could see most of the Cheshire planes land marks.

Spring has Sprung

Well we didn`t get for our afternoon walk today,so for the first time since the clocks went forward and the evenings are lengthening we headed out after tea :)

It was a feast for the senses , the heady perfume of the daffodils blowing in the evening breeze, rabbits bobbing and jumping chasing each other with spring frolics, the calls of the pheasants as they disappear into the hedgerow ... at last spring seems to have arrived :)

                                                       one exhausted Honey .... Bless :)