22nd to 25th of July. Chilling out at Parbold.

On Friday we left Crooke and cruised the 4 and half miles to Parbold. At Dean lock, the motorway goes over the canal at a great height, above a railway bridge.

We saw Meandrine again at Applebury lock where they had found a lovely quiet mooring in the old lock entrance. Pete and Brenda helped us though the lock and we were grateful for their presence once again. We moored in the rather posh village of Parbold. It has an old windmill, a big church and a tea shop. House prices here are not that different from at home; Liverpool commuter belt.

Parbold windmill - now an art gallery (of course!)

Parbold church.

We stayed a few days and as it was dry and the bank was low, Robin painted some of the dents and scratches along the starboard side. The other side will have to wait until we come back the other way! The rather nice (and posh!) pub restaurant will also need to wait till then.  Jo had a bad reaction to a horsefly bite causing a painful and swollen leg so she didn't paint, just moped about :(

By Monday we really had overstayed at the visitor moorings and we moved on to Burscough. We passed the junction with the Rufford branch, which goes up to the Lancaster canal via the Ribble link. Burscough has a proper sized Tesco as well as general facililities. Tomorrow we take Harold to the Marina at Scarisbrick for a few days at home before we go to Liverpool.