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Saturday 12 April 2014

No room at the Inn...or the stables

It's Saturday and the only day in the week we feel we must get a newspaper so Joe wandered off this morning earlyish to the Co-Op at Danes Moss (just along from the Business Park) and got some fresh bread rolls and a Saturday Times.  Then having cooked our breakfast I settled quite happily with the crossword until harried out of my chair by Himself who wanted to get moving..  We prepped the boat and set off towards Macclesfield.
 
 On the move
 And into open countryside with the canal skirting the base of the hills you can see in the background

 As we approached Gurnett Aqueduct we passed Andy and Sue on Nb. Festina Lente
 
 Yarwood crossing the Gurnett Aqueduct
 
 Foden Bank Bridge..a snake bridge taking the towpath from one side of the canal to the other

 Yarwood approaching Foden Bank Bridge
 
 The next stretch of canal is below the substantial stone wall the holds back the Foden Bank

 Repairs to the towpath underway as we approach Macclesfield
 
 This section of towpath was closed to pedestrians five years ago when we passed through here as the stone abutments were under construction..squished walkers would have been a bit of an inconvenience.
 
 The much photographed and iconic Hovis Mill in Macclesfield
 

Just pass the Hovis Mill, a  lovely preserved and renovated/converted mill building, are the advertised visitor moorings and thinking that a weekend stay in Macclesfield would be rather pleasant we attempted to moor up...

 It was not to be, no room at the Inn or the stables we simply couldn't get the boat in sufficiently close to the side so we moved on looking for a suitable mooring. And we moved on and on and...
until we were through Bollington.

 The snake bridge is so 'inviting'...come this way
 Where did they come from?
 
 The visitor moorings in Bollington adjacent to the Adelphi Mill have disappeared into the cut and are cordoned off so onward to the aqueduct.  The moorings over the aqueduct were fully occupied by boats that look quite a home there if you get my drift.. so we move on through Bollington and past Clarence Mill.
 Yarwood passing Clarence Mill
 
 And after two attempts we managed to get in on pins just outside Bollington at Whitley Green where we will stay over the weekend and possibly Monday as well.

6 comments:

  1. The moorings in Macclesfield are a disgrace - the town should be ashamed. Gurnett Aqueduct is about the only place it's possible to moor easily - surely Macclesfield must be missing out on visitors. Bollington isn't much better either. We found that even where there was space, there are big stones under the water.

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    Replies
    1. Adam
      What might help is if C&RT developed relationships with local. Authorities and made the case for the economic benefits that attracting boaters can bring. The financial information is out there to make there case. If you could demonstrate to Bollington civic authorities that every boater could contribute £X to the local economy then they might be persuaded to put the moorings in, or at least fund the moorings. It is resolvable, it needs a vision and an energetic lead!
      Rant over.
      X Lesley

      Delete
  2. The pub we ate in at Cropredy had locals drinking, but ten eating, all were from boats.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly Lisa. The latest Towpath Talk had an item on the amount of value generated by boating in the Midlands and I think it was in the region of £350 million per annum. Providing good moorings and signage to local attractions/ businesses would pay back the local economy very quickly.
      X Lesley

      Delete
  3. In my defence had I known they were all horned, polled means without horns, I would have broadened my species search!! My observation that it was a ram supports this explanation. Obviously the ewes would be polled. ( I haven't convinced you have I?)
    David

    ReplyDelete
  4. David you have convinced me and thank you for the explanation of 'poll', added to my lexicon.
    X Lesley

    ReplyDelete

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