Tilstone, Shropshire Union Canal

The Middlewich Branch had served us well, taking us from the Trent and Mersey to the Shropshire Union Canal. Today we turned right at Barbridge Junction and began our passage north towards Chester.

It was hot again and pretty busy, with a mix of owners, share boaters and hirers making the most of the sunshine. We pulled in at Calverley services to fill the water tank and get rid of our rubbish, which was once again overflowing and beginning to smell in the heat. We were pleased to be able to use the new Food Waste bin as it would reduce the pressure on our limited on-board composting capacity. They've been mandatory since April so we should start seeing more of them. It was disappointing to see there were only two recycling bins though, as they were overflowing. We guess it takes time for contractors to adapt to demand.

The Shropshire Union is a heavy duty, wide canal, designed for lots of traffic. Vicky was very pleased to see a shower at the services and nipped in for a cool down while our tank was filling.

It's been ages since we've encountered double width locks and the two Bunbury staircase locks were a bit of a shock to the system. There was a boat already in the lower lock as we cruised into the upstream one with another boat. There were plenty of crew to work the paddles and gates. Happily, too many cooks did not spoil the broth and we progressed to the lower lock without a hitch. Will nipped into the small Anglo Welsh hire boat office while we were descending and came out with a couple of Magnums; a glorious sight for Vicky in her overheated state!

We moored just before the next lock near Tilstone; near where we'd stayed the last time we travelled this canal. It was frosty then, so it was nice to see it in a different season. Giant Hogweed towered over us as we walked the dogs along the towpath and honeysuckle climbed 10m up trees on the opposite bank. Vicky was lucky enough to see a Kingfisher close up as it dived towards her for a fish, then spun round, flying away and meeting with it's mate further down the canal. Happy days!Read more