TNC On Tour 2004 Page 8

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2004

8 - Trentham to Middlewich, Trent and Mersey Canal.

Monday 29th March 2004

After our lazy day before, we decided to go for it today. The start was at 08:10. There was much evidence of the road improvements below Stoke Flight. The "Pig Pen" temporary tunnel was passed with out incident at 09:45 and straight into Stoke Bottom. The Stoke Tunnel has a slight curve and it just worth having the tunnel light on for. It was bigger than envisaged, passage south has priority. This will be fun in the summer when all the hire boats are about.
Top of Stoke Flight at 10:35. Arrival at the Harecastle Tunnel was at 11:35. After a brief wait we went and found the tunnel keeper, glad to report that the chief keeper is still the same guy with the pebbly glasses that has been about for yonks. A boat was already in the tunnel going north and nothing waiting at the other end, so the fans were stopped, doors opened and in we went at 11:46. Soon we were plunged into darkness as the doors shut, fans started an a "plug" of diesel smoke from the boat ahead hit us. Soon up to normal spirited tunnel speed, coming out of the Kidsgrove portal at 12:15.
We never caught the boat in front, so it either stopped or went up the Macc. Nothing in all of the Cheshire Locks and normally one of the paired locks full so a rather pleasant passage down in the spring sunshine. Thurlwood Lock and our old haunt, The Broughton Arms was passed at 14:05. Finally at Wheelock, the bottom at 16:15.
Martin Wilson was dropped off at Bridge 160, nearest to Sandbach Station. It did not look good for Martin as the railway was obviously closed for engineering works, but the replacement busses soon got him to Crewe. ..........and then it was back to two.........Neil and Martin Clark.
Onwards we went, passing Middlewich Junction and mooring up below Big Lock at 19:15. Passage was delayed through this lock as we waited for an Alvechurch boat to go up, delayed by having a bottom paddle half up. Sad to report that the modern silk cloth factory beside the Big lock pub has been levelled, probably making way for yet more canal side housing. The Big Lock was still doing food, so we made it our early evening venue, leaving as the quiz started at 09:00. Extensive food menu. What we had was OK. Excellent Black Sheep ale, good few other real ales on.

Trentham Lock No 35. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Sideway Bridge No 109. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Bridge No 112. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Stoke On Trent 1960's road improvements that are about to be extensively altered. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Bridge 113 Stoke On Trent. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Stoke On Trent 1960's road improvements that are about to be extensively altered. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The new temporary Stoke "Pig-Pen" Tunnel. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The new temporary Stoke "Pig-Pen" Tunnel. Stoke Bottom Lock is just beyond the second bridge. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The new temporary Stoke "Pig-Pen" Tunnel. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Stoke Bottom Lock. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Railway Bridge and Stoke Flight Lock No 37.

Railway Bridge and Stoke Flight Lock No 37. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Lock No 38 Stoke Flight. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Stoke Top Lock No 40 from Lock No 39. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Stoke Flight Lock No 39. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Stoke Festival Marina and China Gardens pub. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The changing face of Middleport. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Middleport. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Tunstall. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Bridge No 129. Tunstall. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Bridge No 130. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Harecastle Tunnel. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Hardings Wood Junction. Macclesfield to the left under the bridge. Paired Red Bull Flight Top Locks No 41. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Flight Top Locks No 41. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Flight Locks No 42. The Macclesfield Canal Poole Aqueduct beyond. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Red Bull Flight Locks No 42 and the Macclesfield Canal Poole Aqueduct. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull pub to the left and Red Bull Flight Lock No 43. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Red Bull pub. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Flight Lock No 43. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Wharf and Bridge No 43. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Flight Locks No 44. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Flight Locks No 45. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Red Bull Flight Locks No 45. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Red Bull Flight Bottom Locks No 46. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Red Bull Flight Bottom Locks No 46. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Church Locks No 47. One of the double locks has been shored up since the 1970's. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Church Locks No 47, looking down at Church Locks No 48. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The decrepit Church Locks No 47. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Church Locks Nos 48 and 47. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Lawton Treble Locks No 50, looking up at Halls Locks No 49. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Lawton Treble Locks No 51. Trent and Mersey Canal.

BW using Heritage NB "Gailey" on wash wall works below Lawton Treble Locks No 52. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Broughton Arms at Rode Heath. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Bridge No 139 and The Broughton Arms at Rode Heath. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Thurlwood Lock No 53. The steel lock used to be to the left. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Thurlwood Lock No 53. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Locks No 54. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Pierpoint Lock No 55. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Sign o' the times - one of the last offerings from Northwich Yard. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Pierpoint Lock No 56 and Bridge No145. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Hassall Green Lock No 57. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Hassall Green Locks No 58. The M6 Motorway intrudes below. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Hassall Green Lock No 57. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Hassall Green Locks No 58. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 59. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 60. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Wheelock Flight Locks No 59. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 61 and Bridge No 150. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Malkin's Bank. Wheelock Flight Lock No 62. Rather intrusive housing development beside the flight. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 63. Malkin's Bank Arm under the towpath bridge. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Malkin's Bank Arm. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Wheelock Flight Lock No 62. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back from Wheelock Flight Locks No 63. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 63. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 64. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back up from Wheelock Flight Locks No 64. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Disused railway line now a path. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Locks No 65. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Bottom Locks No 66. The inner of the two BW Heritage Narrowboats is believed to be "Ibex". Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking up from Wheelock Flight Bottom Locks No 66 at Locks No 65. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock Flight Bottom Locks No 66. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at new Bridge No 152 A and Wheelock Flight Bottom Locks No 66. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Wheelock. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Cheshire Cheese pub at Wheelock. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Bridge 154 A Wheelock. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Rookery Railway Bridge No 158 has recently had a new deck. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Rookery Bridge No 159. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Elton Moss Bridge No 160. Martin Wilson disappears off to Sandbach Station. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Crows Nest Lock No 67. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Booth Lane Lock No 68. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Booth Lane Lock No 68. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Booth Lane Lock No 69. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Tetton Bridge No 165. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Tetton Bridge No 165 has a nasty arch, obscured by this modern extension. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Salt Works. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Rump's Lock No 70 and the Kinderton Arms. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Rump's Lock No 70 - the outskirts of Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Kings Lock No 71. Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Kings Lock No 71 and pub of the same name. Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Kings Lock chip shop. Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Kings Lock No 71 and pub of the same name. Picture take from bridge over start of Wardle Canal (Middlewich Arm) Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Middlewich Narrowboats and Bridge No 169. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Middlewich Top Lock No 72. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking back at Middlewich Narrowboats. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking up from Middlewich Lock No 73. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Looking down from Middlewich Lock No 73. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Middlewich Bottom Lock No 74. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Big Lock No 75 and pub of the same name. Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

Big Lock No 75 and pub of the same name. New silk cloth factory has been demolished! Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal.

The Tour Continues...

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