Dane Aqueduct, below Bosley Locks

The cruise from Congleton to Dane Aqueduct was a true pleasure. Starting off, the sun warmed the air and made the colours around us pop. The course of the Macclesfield runs mainly straight with only a few bends so steering was a breeze. We began in a cutting, passing under numerous rail, road and footbridges, mostly constructed with huge hunks of squared off sandstone; probably Chatsworth Grit quarried from the surrounding hills.

Our views had been somewhat limited within the confines of the cutting but now the channel emerged and was carried over a series of embankments and small aqueducts. The Shaw Brook and Dane Valleys sprawling away underneath and to our port while The Cloud hill rose amongst the Pennines in the distance to starboard. Beautiful!

We'd seen Narrowboat Lexi setting off before us and timed it well because she was just leaving the water point on the offside as we arrived. Will even managed to return the tap connector they'd left behind after they'd winded and were passing us in the opposite direction. Another narrowboat arrived just as we were finishing, but apart from this we saw no other vessels on the move.

We moored just before the impressive Dane Aqueduct that passes over the river some 45ft below. Will got busy stirring our compost boxes and Vicky did a little more on a macrame window drape for the bedroom. Later, Will worked with his niece, going through her online maths homework, while Vicky walked the dogs past 6 of the 12 Bosley Locks that we had yet to navigate.

The following day it rained and we rested inside, blogging, learning on Duo Lingo, making marmalade, scones and fajitas. Being around 1km from the nearest road, it was wonderfully quiet and wonderfully dark when the sun set😊 Czytaj więcej