Middlewich to Chester

We arrived early for the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival (FAB) as the trade moorings were unallocated this year and we really didn't want to end up under the trees. As it was a few traders had already arrived but we managed to get in the stretch where we wanted to be.

Heidi, the pirate providing some entertainment

We had decided to make sure we went to some of the evenings entertainment this year as last year we missed most of it being to tired after a day of talking to loads of people. Our thinking was we can always catch up on sleep after the event and not miss too much. We missed Saturday night but spent Friday and Sunday nights in the Boars Head and had great fun with lots of the other traders.

Once the weekend was over we slowly made our way to Chester.

27 miles and 24 locks

TOTAL 333 miles and 266 locks

Chester to Beeston

With the IWA taking over the basin for their weekend festival we decided to head off. It is frustrating when the 48 hour mooring rules are put aside for some, many of the boats that were moored in the basin when we left on Tuesday had been there when we went through on Saturday to Ellesmere Port and they will be there all week until the end of the festival. All the moorings have been reserved from Friday 6th until Sunday 8th which is fair enough, but on Monday they were three abreast and taking upnresidence on the water point as well. What annoys me is that these are 48 hour moorings and many were turning up with their boat, mooring then leaving it. 

The basin, starting to get busy a week before the festival

Monday evening (2nd June) we headed into the City for a last drink at the great Boot Inn and then a belated anniversary dinner at Moules a go go, they have a special offer of 2-4-1 on their kilo of mussels every Monday. From the moment we arrived the staff were really friendly and efficient and we both really enjoyed the food. Definitely visit there again on any return trips to Chester.

The Boot Inn

James at the bar

Enjoying a pint and kilo of mussels at Moules a go go

On Tuesday 3rd June we only moved a short way up through the staircase locks again, doing shuffles in each one so it took quite a time, I wanted to stop to top up at Tesco and as there was a free spot in that stretch we decided to stay put, and said our final goodbyes to Chester on Wednesday.

Middle staircase lock, LJ up and two down

LJ passing the second one down

It's a long way down !!

LJ going into the top lock with one coming down

James' view looking back

Moored up in the Tesco stretch

Wednesday 4th June we set off just behind a Viking Afloat hire boat, so someone to share the locks with. There were plenty coming down for the festival so lots of help at the locks and I met some of the nice members of the IWA.

LJ sharing with a Viking Afloat, nice to have lock companions

Couldn't resist this one, nothing like the Corfe Castle back near Poole

We stopped just before bridge 108 and the lock as we had spied some nice wood on the way down that was shouting out to be collected.

Nice spot for a few days, view of Beeston Castle to the left

11 miles and 5 locks

Total 232.25 miles and 144 locks

Ellesmere Port to Chester

On Saturday we paid the museum at Ellesmere Port a visit, so across the bridge and up the steps and we were there. We had a look around all the historic wooden boats, it was sad to see them in such a state it seemed more water was going in than they were able to pump out, but hopefully one day they will be restored. I was surprised at the lack of people wandering around, we only saw three or four couples other couples.

Saturday night saw us walking into the town of Ellesmere Port, over the railway bridge and it had a very desolate feel about it, many places boarded up or obviously closed down, as we walked further it became a little better, we were hoping to stumble across a fish and chip shop and find a nice park to sit in. But we came across a Wetherspoons instead, it wasn't one of their usual ones, I find they are normally in nice buildings in the town but this one wasn't. once inside it was ok though. On the tables they had a 'Specials Menu', I thought it was a wind up at first, 8oz Sirlion steak and chips for £3,99 or £2.99 for curry and rice. We were going to have the usual burger and a drink, but at those prices I went for the steak and James the curry and lovely it was too, the steak cooked just right.

Sunday we were off, heading back to Chester. Up the two narrow locks out of the basin and then along past the stretches of motorway before out in the countryside for a few miles before getting back into Chester, where this time we moored up in Telford Basin.

Leaving Ellesmere Port

Opposite Taylors Boatyard

8.5 miles and 2 locks
Total 221.25 miles and 139 locks

Chester to Ellesmere Port

Friday 30th May

After nearly a week in Chester we decided to move on to visit the museum at Ellesmere Port and the end of the Shropshire Union Canal. After passing by the City Walls we came across the Northgate Staircase locks, cut out of the stone these three staircase locks are very deep, I was glad I was up at the top!!

City Wall on the left

Top lock of the staircase

Middle staircase lock

This is James' view

James' view in the bottom lock

We had a peaceful journey through some lovely countryside before the M53 went over us followed shortly by the M56 and then the M53 was alongside for the last couple of miles to Ellesmere Port. We passed by a huge sewerage works (the signs said water treatment works) but obviously the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

Soon we were outside the museum and the two locks to take us down into the basin, we had only passed one boat all the way and they knew of us - as we passed by they asked if we knew Marpessa, which of course we do Nick and Emma, turns out they were the previous owners - small world.

Moored outside the Holiday Inn in Ellesmere Port

Chester - we will be back, we're not going on the Manchester Shipping Canal!!

9 miles and 5 locks

Total 212.75 miles and 137 locks

Chester

We spent nearly  a week in Chester, Mum and John came to visit for a couple of days. There is so much to do and see and many interesting facts about the city. Unfortunately we had rain on most days but we didn't let it dampen our spirits or stop us exploring.

The 1.9 mile circuit of the city walls are almost complete, the most complete in Britain and the canal runs a short length of this just outside and apparently uses the old moat. It is one of the best walled Roman cities in Europe and the best surviving Roman walled fortress in northern Europe. 

City Walls overlooking the River Dee

Chester is reputed to have more ghosts than any other English city, that's if you believe is ghosts, fortunately we didn't experience any evidence of them. We paid a visit to Chester Cathedral, it is apparently the most popular free entry destination in the UK. 

Chester also has Britain's largest tea rooms and they are in one of the oldest buildings in Chester. 'The Rows' are amazing, being half timbered black and white buildings dating from the 13th Century, they are shop galleries on two levels. We paid several visits to The Boot Inn up in The Rows, Chester's oldest pub, they don't have any branded drinks at all and the only food is crisps, a proper old pub and a pint of Dark Mild costs the grand sum of £1.34. 

Almes Houses

Chester Centre from the Wall

Chester Library

The Grosvenor Shopping Centre

Chester Cathedral

Courtyard Gardens

Eagle inside the Cathedral

The River Dee also runs through Chester just outside the walls, in the Middle Ages Chester was the most important port in northern England exporting cheese, candles and salt, part of the Roman harbour wall remains. The Old Dee Bridge was built in the 14th Century and was the only bridge across the Dee in Chester until the 19th Century, it had many re-builds with the latest one being opened in 1832. At 200ft is was the longest stone arch bridge in the world but now the fourth longest, but still the longest in Britain. Chester weir in Britain's oldest surviving mill dam. 

Nesting between the Dee and the canal

Narrowboat on the River

Stone Bridge and the Weir

The Victorian Eastgate jubilee clock from 1897 is claimed to be the second most photographed in the world after the Houses of Parliament. 

A couple of herons kept up company by our mooring

Back on LJ for lunch