Furness Vale to Bugsworth Upper Basin.

1.36 miles, no locks, 55mins.

What an epic journey it has been to get to Bugsworth Basins, Since leaving dry dock in Uxbridge on Saturday 30th March we have travelled 201.4  miles, through 142 locks in exactly 100 hours in 17 actual travelling days, as we spent 10 days moored in Braunston, one day moored in Stone for Jo’s birthday and one day moored at Gurnett Aqueduct. We now await the visit from the engineers tomorrow and hopefully find out what is wrong with our Invertor/Charger,  fingers crossed.

Keith.

Furness Vale II and Whaley Bridge

This morning Jo and I went for another walk. We set off into Furness Vale again to start with.

The signal box by the level crossing.

Furness Vale railway station. This time we turned south and headed towards Whaley Bridge.

Hadar as seen from the Buxton Road (A6).

Crossing back over the canal at footbridge No.34.

Bugsworth & Whaley Bridge junction.

Tescos store beside the junction.

The visitor moorings at Whaley Bridge have been repaired since we were here last year.

Whaley Bridge basin.

Original railway bridge over the River Goyt in Whaley Bridge, this was the Cromford & High Peak Railway which terminated at the canal basin.

The road bridge alongside the footbridge. The footbridge is sandwiched between the road bridge and the railway bridge.

One of our favourite Antiques Shops.

The footbridge as seen from the railway bridge.

Mechanics Institute.

Another view of the River Goyt which wends it’s way through the town.

Whaley Bridge railway station.

The transhipment shed back in the basin.

Inside the transhipment shed.

The sewage works not far from where Hadar is moored.

Keith.

Furness Vale

This morning we took a walk into Furness Vale.

The level crossing at the railway line, and The Crossings behind.

The Soldier Dick on the Buxton Road which is the A6.

View across the valley from the road.

St. John’s Church.

The views from Furness Vale are something else.

Hills immediately behind St. John’s Church.

Across the railway, canal and valley below.

All this needed was a steam engine thundering towards us.

Freight train on the other line across the valley. We met up with Chas & Ann on Moore2Life, and Geoff and Mags on Seyella moored near Carr Swing bridge, and had a brief chat before they set off for Marple.

Keith.

Fourlane Ends, to Furness Vale.

9.66 miles, 0 locks, 2 lift bridges, 2 swing bridges, 4hrs 25mins.

A misty start which soon cleared, but the showers were looming in the sky.

Goyt Mill, Marple.

Approaching Marple junction and the Peak Forest Canal.

Dramatic views abound.

And so do the dark clouds.

And then came the hailstones, only small ones though.

Turf Lea lift bridge.

Wood End lift bridge.

Higgins Clough swing bridge.

The Pennine hills.

The Swizzles factory, always smells so mouth-watering as we pass by.

New Mills.

Keith.

Macclesfield to Fourlane Ends.

6.74 miles, 0 locks, 3hrs 10mins.

Dull start to the morning, which got increasingly duller as we went, with it just starting to spit with rain as we moored up.

Taking on water with the Hovis Mill, Macclesfield, in the background.

Approaching the Adelphi Mill, Bollington.

View of Bollington below Bollington Aqueduct.

Clarence Mill, Bollington.

Keith.

Macclesfield

This morning Jo and I took a walk into Macclesfield, this being the first time we have had an opportunity to actually visit the town.

Just down the steps from the canal is the Old King’s Head pub.

The aqueduct.

The war memorial which on the 6 posts have a lot of names of soldiers form the town killed in the first world war. Many of them it would appear from the same families, at least going by the surnames.

We had a coffee in the Cheshire Gap whilst we waited for my watch to be fitted with a new battery in a jewellers just up the road.

We came across our first gold pillar-box, it is a shame it doesn’t say which athlete at the London 2012 Olympics it was painted gold for. Apparently it is for Sarah Storey, a paralympian cyclist.

We had lunch at The Society Rooms, a Wetherspoons establishment. Opposite the Society Rooms is Marshall Spearing Butchers whose pies are reputed to be excellent, will have to try one one day. Jo managed to pick up a pair of brand new unused Campri Boots in a charity shop for £7.99, bargain!

Keith.