TNC On Tour 2003 Page 31

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2003

31 - Whaley Bridge to Oakgrove. Upper Peak Forest Canal and Macclesfield Canal.

Friday 1st August 2003

Linda got up earlyish and manually pulled back Earnest into the Whaley Bridge winding point cum water point. This was a mistake as the weir side was full of rocks and we could only get the bow in to the bank.
Martin and Neil got in conversation about the wash wall collapse against the old A6 - this had affected the road, which was one way working. A BW bod said that fortunately it was not down to BW as the base of the wall was OK. The collapse was caused by a blocked culvert flooding the road and blowing out the stone footpath wall, which took a large lump of road with it. The remains had been fairly quickly removed from the road side and the channel was OK.
We shoved off at 09:15, after breaky and waiting for the water to fill. It took ages as it was low pressure and we were nearly out. We stopped again at the junction with the Bugsworth Basin Arm to look at the state of the repairs to continuing leakage problems in the basins and take a good few pictures. There were many liveaboards up the arm, including someone using the final bridge as a paint shop. Although stanked off, the main dry sections were in a couple of the arms, the main channel round the "back" of the basin seemed at nearly weir level.
The Navigation Inn looked most welcoming.....last here in 1970, when owned by Pat Phoenix.. Solutions have been found and the Basins should be returned to water next summer..........so yet another reason to come back up north, what with this and the extended Montgomery Canal.
After about 40 minutes stop we were off again. We had some swing / lift bridge leap-frogging with a boat in front, but we came out of the last one first! The Matlow's Swizzels Factory at New Mills seems to still be thriving. The little remembered Upper Peak Forest was found to be a lovely little canal, but a bit on the shallow side.
We started down the Macclesfield Canal at 12:20. Arrangements had been made to meet David Kitching and Phil and Monica Rushton that evening and after various alterations to venue, eventually we settled on the Fools Nook at Old Oak Swing Bridge, a bit below Macclesfield. There did seem to be a lack of decent piled moorings in Macclesfield and were not many boats stopped there.
The canal was vastly improved in the depth department since our last passage down it in Beatty and we flew down in record time. Too many to mention deep mooring spots - apart from Macclesfield!
David K wandered off to meet us as we came out of Macclesfield with his very well behaved "Morcambe Bay Shrimp Hound". Being Whippet like Mandy took to it, but Lottie the Jack Russell got jealous. David stayed with us until Swing Bridge 47, then went back to retrieve his car.
A meal was booked at the Fools Nook, for crew and David K. Food OK and plenty of it, Bombardier and Pedigree was on form. Phil was dropped off by Monica a bit later on and David's wife Shirley and daughter cane to join us.
It was an OK night by the busy road - we were in the quietest part of the deep piled moorings, beyond the Swing Bridge. Surprisingly cheerful and sunny day for the top of the Macc!

Click here for link to IWPS site and map of Bugsworth Basins.

Bugsworth Basin Arm. Aqueduct over the River Goyt. Upper Peak Forest Canal.

The A6 Bridge has become a paint shop! Upper Peak Forest Canal, Bugsworth Basin Arm.

The canal beyond the A6 Bridge is stanked off at the moment. Upper Peak Forest Canal, Bugsworth Basin Arm.

Terrace of cottages on entrance canal to Bugsworth Basins. Upper Peak Forest Canal, Bugsworth Basin Arm.

Wharfingers cottage by the narrows at the entrance to Bugsworth Basins. Upper Peak Forest Canal, Bugsworth Basin Arm.

Lower Basin to left and Lower Basin Arm to the right. Bugsworth Basins.

Blackbrook House. The IWPS Offices and new sanitary station. Bugsworth Basins.

Looking back from beside "The Wide". Bugsworth Basins.

Middle Basin. Upper Basin, straight on under the Buxworth - Whalley Bridge bridge. Middle Basin Arm to left under tramway bridge. Bugsworth Basins.

Middle Basin Arm. Bugsworth Basins.

The end of the Middle Basin Arm. Bugsworth Basins.

The Navigation Inn, beside the Upper Basin. Bugsworth Basins.

Bridge No 61. The Buxworth - Whaley Bridge road. Bugsworth Basins.

Looking back down the Middle Basin from Bridge No 61. Bugsworth Basins.

Looking up the Upper Basin from Bridge No 61. Navigation Inn to the left. Bugsworth Basins.

Looking down the Lower Basin. Bugsworth Basins.

Looking towards the end of the Upper Basin. Bugsworth Basins.

Upper Basin to the right, Upper Basin Arm to the left. Bugsworth Basins.

Marple Junction, we are must turning off the Upper Peak Forest Canal onto the Macclesfield Canal.

Marple Junction, from Bridge No 1. Gateless Stop Lock and BW yard in old transhipment wharf / warehouse. Church Lane Bridge No 2 in the distance. Macclesfield Canal.

Marple Junction, from Bridge No 1. About to pass through the old Stop Lock. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at the old stop lock and Bridge No 1. Lower Peak Forest Canal to Manchester to the left and Upper Peak Forest Canal to Whaley Bridge to the right. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at BW Marple Yard and Marple Junction. Macclesfield Canal.

Church Lane Bridge No 2. Marple. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Church Lane Bridge No 2. Macclesfield Canal.

Goyt Mill and Eccles Bridge No 3. Marple. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Eccles Bridge No 3. Marple. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Goyt Mill and Eccles Bridge No 3. Marple. Macclesfield Canal.

Shepleys Bridge No 4. Marple. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Shepleys Bridge No 4. Hawk Green. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Barns Fold Bridge No 5. Hawk Green. Obviously one of Martin Clark's photo's! Macclesfield Canal.

The Bulls Head pub and High Lane Bridge No 11. Macclesfield Canal.

Bridge No 12, North Cheshire Cruising Clubs moorings in the High Lane Arm. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Bridge No 12 over the High Lane Arm. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at embankment over a brook and railway line. High Lane. Macclesfield Canal.

Bullocks Bridge No 13. Middlewood. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Smiths Bridge No 14. Macclesfield Canal.

Moorings in the wides at Higher Poynton. Macclesfield Canal.

"Cromford", a nice NB Tug. Macclesfield Canal.

Higher Poynton. Brownhills Bridge No 15. To the right, in the arm is Braidbar Boats. Macclesfield Canal.

Higher Poynton. Braidbar Boats. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Brownhills Bridge No 15. We are passing NB Otter, one of Ed Mortimer's old day boats. Higher Poynton. Macclesfield Canal.

The last of the Higher Poynton wides. Macclesfield Canal.

The winding point below Higher Poynton. Macclesfield Canal.

Hag Footbridge No 16. The site of a disused swing bridge. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Mitchells Bridge No 17. Macclesfield Canal.

Lyne View Marina at Adlington Basin, Four Lane - Ends. Grimshaws Bridge No 18 in the distance. Macclesfield Canal.

Ryles Bridge No 20. Linda's dog walk pick-up point. Macclesfield Canal.

Hibberts Brown Bridge No 21. Macclesfield Canal.

Bartons Bridge No 22. Macclesfield Canal.

Wilds Bridge No 23. Winding point just above. Macclesfield Canal.

Snapes Bridge No 24. Macclesfield Canal.

Bollington in the distance. Macclesfield Canal.

Sugar Lane Bridge No 26. Macclesfield Canal.

Clarence Mill, on the outskirts of Bollington. Macclesfield Canal.

View from Bollington Embankment. Macclesfield Canal.

Bollington Aqueduct. Looking back at Clarence Mill. Macclesfield Canal.

Adelphi Mill. Bollington. Macclesfield Canal.

Bollington Wharf. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Bollington Wharf. Macclesfield Canal.

Green Bridge No 28. Kerridge. Macclesfield Canal.

Kerridge Dry Dock. Macclesfield Canal.

Clarke Lane Turnover Bridge No 29. Macclesfield Canal.

Woods Bridge No 30. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at the site of Swing Bridge No 31.Macclesfield Canal.

Higherfold Bridge No 33. Macclesfield Canal.

Chapel-en-le-Frith Bridge No 34. Macclesfield Canal.

Peter meets an oncoming boat at the sharp bend after Barrack Road Bridge No 35. Macclesfield Canal.

Approaches to Macclesfield. Smyths Bridge No 36. Macclesfield Canal.

Buxton Road Bridge No 37 and Hovis Mill in the distance. Macclesfield. Macclesfield Canal.

Looking back at Peak Forest Canal Cruises base on Buxton Road Wharf. The start of our many Cheshire Ring hire boat holidays. Macclesfield. Macclesfield Canal.