Gurnett Aqueduct
March 3 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
To escape the noise of the adjacent building site and the stress it was causing Leo, we decided to cruise to the next available mooring spot, wherever that may be. Vicky took her chair on the towpath with the dogs while Will steered Rainboat alongside. The chair travels up to 4mph and the canal speed limit is 4mph so it worked well.
We soon left the noise and industrial surroundings behind and the scenery opened up to fields and trees. Rainboat slotted into the one space available between Leek Old Bridge (no.44) and the long line of boats tied up at Gurnett Aqueduct moorings. The name Gurnett comes from the small village nestled in the valley of the River Bollin below but the aqueduct appeared more like a continuation of the embankment than any bridge-like structure that would draw the eye.
The sun was shining and our rooftop daffodils had bloomed. Will and Whiskers spent the rest of the day fishing from the stern, enjoying the warmth and a natter with passersby. Vicky and the dogs joined them later. Using a combination of post it notes and notes on the phone, we planned which of our seeds and plants would be planted in in which of our rooftop troughs. What prompted this scheming was the proximity of Fairways Garden Centre, just 150m down the lane running alongside the towpath. We visited the following day to restock on Vicky's houseplants. We also came away with a couple of hardy perennial evergreen plants that are supposed to be good for pollinators so we'll keep our eyes peeled for butterflies and bees when the flowers bloom in early summer.
Vicky returned to Rainboat to rest while Will visited the nearby Kings Head for a spot of lunch. He'd only intended on grabbing something light but couldn't resist a lamb burger when he saw one on the menu. That evening our TV viewing was interrupted by loud yowls from outside. Vicky marched along the towpath with a torch and discovered Whiskers fronting up to a large tabby tomcat, who scarpered under the glare of the light and Vicky's abrasive admonitions. Whiskers trotted happily up to her when she called as if he was the best boy in the world. We locked him inside until bed time, hoping to give the tension time to cool down. At 2am Vicky was woken by more yowling from Whiskers and the territorial tabby so His Lordship was confined indoors for the rest of the night and we moved on the next day. Spring is definitely in the air!Read more