Nantwich (Shropshire Union Canal)

​

This trip is a change to the orginal schedule, necessitated by the breach on the Llangollen Canal.

​

After a couple of days loitering around Nantwich (and making the LONG walk into town to re-stock), we’ll be ready to depart when our new travelling companions come aboard around 1.30pm.  We’ll TRY and be around bridge 91 but will liaise on the day as to our exact (ish) whereabouts.

 

Following an introductory blah blah (and probably a glass of something bubbly) we’ll pull ropes and chug off on our Northerly route.    It’s not a long first afternoon’s cruising…we’ll pass Hurleston Junction (the Start of the Llangollen canal proper) and before long will  be in Barbridge where (if there’s space we may moor for our first night at the Barbridge Inn Pub.  IF not, we’ll abandon that plan and keep going until we find a quieter spot.

 

The next morning (after a simple DIY breakfast), we’ll head off and before long will arrive in Calveley services – where we’ll probably top up the water tank and make use of their rubbish bins. Once underway again, we’ll come across Bunbury Staircase Locks… often a source of amusement as there is a Hire base at the bottom and we’ll more than likely get to witness a first time hirers ‘baptism of fire’.  We’ll help out if things look like they are going awry.  Ahead of us is Beeston Iron lock – it’s an oddity on the canal network… a WIDE lock, lined with (unsurprisingly given it’s name) an iron trough… the danger to it being, “sticky out bits” that can quite easily tip a boat.  DON’T worry though… we’ll have all eyes and ears engaged as we navigate our way through it and shortly after, stop for lunch.

​

Depending on whether our guests wish to have a wander up to the remains of Beeston Castle, we may moor for the day – or alternatively, chug on to Chester and then moor for the night.

 

Our next morning will be flexible – if our guests  made the walk up to the castle remains but would also like to explore Chester for a while, we can make an early start and aim to moor in Chester by lunchtime. We’ll bid our guests farewell shortly after breakfast the following morning and then prep the boat ready for our  return to Nantwich.