We stayed in Market Drayton on Thursday and into Friday morning for Robin to get his leg looked at. The wound from his fall in the canal a month ago still hasn't healed properly. They had a good look at it at the walk-in health centre and after a couple of goes at finding the right dressing, they found something that seemed to be helping. They were very nice and gave us some spares to get him to the next health centre at Nantwich.
Friday was warm but overcast and we set off in the afternoon, making it four miles up the canal to moor just north of the five Adderley locks.
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| The locker at Adderley, warm in summer clothes under humid cloudy skies. |
Our mooring was opposite a cow field (most places are around here) and there was, as in Market Drayton, a sole aggressive swan patrolling up and down. No paddle-boarding here then!
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| Harold, the cows and the swan! |
In the evening a racing pigeon with a damaged leg landed on the back of the boat. Robin gave it water and seed and we used the front to get on and off to give it some peace. By the morning it had gone so we hope for the best.
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| Our pigeon! |
On Saturday we headed off to the Audlem flight. A lovely warm day again. The flight has fifteen locks, and goes down 90 feet altogether, taking the canal from the Shropshire plain to the Cheshire plain. The village of Audlem is accessible from between locks 12 and 13 and we moored there for the night. On a sunny Saturday it was busy with goingoozlers. We visisted the Welsh cheese boat. The mill shop had lovely sewing and canal things so we were in there a while. We had dinner at the Shroppie Fly pub but it's another chain and the food was indifferent :(
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| Our mooring is on the right and the pub on the left. The Shroppie Fly is the name of a type of boat which moved perishable goods like cheese and milk on the canal at speed (even with horses) and took preference over other cargo boats. |
On Sunday, a glorious day, we had breakfast in a little café in the village before doing the remaining three locks. There was cyclists everywhere, a charity race apparently. Far too much lycra for comfort.
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| Audlem church is rather imposing on its hill |
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| The view of the village from the church (plus finger!) |
The canal continues to be rather straight and very beautiful. It was also really busy today, boats everywhere and lots on the move.
As we have time to kill before going home from Nantwich on Wednesday, we stopped before the next locks and just after this rather worrying sign. It was hot so sunbathing, fishing and general idleness ensued.
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| The secret bunker is now a museum apparently. Just a bunker then. |
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| Harold moored behind the yellow boat (which was called the Captain Hastings after Hercule Poirot's sidekick) |
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| Sunbathing, fishing and general idleness. Two roach were caught and released. |
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