Thursday, September 22

We left Middlewich at 8:00am. Our first task was to pass through “The Big Lock”. Even though the elevation of the lock is only about 5 feet, the lock is several feet wider than all of the other locks we passed through.

It had rained quite a bit the night before but the day looked promising & the weather forecast was favorable.

En route to Anderton we had to pass through an aqueduct. We had already been through it on the way to Nantwich a few days before. We were not sure what to expect the first time & had imagined crossing over a high valley on a structure that looked like a Roman bridge. Well, this aqueduct is much more modest than that 😀

This particular aqueduct is not much longer, or wider than our boat but it is still an important part of the canal’s infrastructure.

We reached the Anderton area around 1:00 pm & headed to the Stanley Arms Pub for lunch & a pint. Catherine had a curry dish & I had bangers & mash and it all was really, really good. If you are ever in the Anderton area then be sure that this pub is on your “go to” list.

After lunch we went to explore the lift locks.
This is an amazing setup that lifts & lowers narrowboats over 50 feet in one shot. It was built to overcome the height difference between the canal & the River Weaver, which is 50 feet below the canal’s water level.

The lift locks were built in 1875 & restored several years ago. Today it is a popular tourist attraction with a great visitor’s center for boaters & landlubbers. You can learn more about the locks by following this link:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/museums-and-attractions/anderton-boat-lift

After having a good look around I was headed back to our boat when I spotted Chris & Jennifer coming down the canal on board their narrowboat – which is even longer than ours!

I called to them as they were passing under the pedestrian bridge I was standing on & we set up a date for another gam after they got moored up.

Cheers everyone!