Not traveled far today...

...just a few miles further along the Middlewich Branch.

I serviced the engine after I let it cool down for an hour, changed the oil and filter, I didn't want the engine to have old oil with harmful combustion products sat in the engine during Winter Maintenance.

I bought these before Christmas, they were the best price I'd seen for a long time...

There was only four left so I bought them all.

More tomorrow.

A stroll along the canal and some fish & chips.

We took a walk back to the junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal and turned left to see the Middlewich Boats site now abandoned.

Further up is the Big Lock pub and last time we were here there was a block of flats newly built next door. Now they extend for about another 250 metres.

We thought the pound between the top lock 74 and middle lock 73 was a bit low when we walked out, when we came back...

There was the odd tyre, a large road sign, bits of guttering and loads of fenders. No bicycles, supermarket trolleys, safes, guns or bodies though.

Being as we're in Middlewich it would be rude not to visit the fish and chip shop in Booth Lane. We always have fish and chips from here when we visit Middlewich, probably the best fish and chips in the world.

Later in the afternoon we slipped our moorings and headed out into the countryside.

Middlewich 180

It was a surprisingly long way to Middlewich, but as we approached bridge 26 we realised Stanthorn Lock was just around the corner and then the former breach site.

This was a major operation and the photographs shown here and other publications don't do it justice. You have to be here to appreciate the extent of the damage and scale of the works involved in its repair.

A big thank you and we'll done for a job completed on time and  (I guess we'll never know for sure) on budget.

The embankment is really steep on both sides.

Looking back toward Stanthorn Lock.

Onward through Wardle Lock and did a 180 in the basin and then back up again through the lock.

It's disappointing to see how scruffy the old lock cottage has become since Maureen's passing. 

If you click on the image it should enlarge enough to enable reading.

The weather forecast says tonight it's going to freeze, but I don't think the cut will ice over, it's been too warm and it'll take a few days of hard frost to bring down the temperature of the water enough.