Cheshire Ring Canal Walk - Northwich to Warrington
It was overcast and gloomy as I set off on
Sunday morning. Unfortunately this was as good as it got weather-wise.
Our usual gang of four met up at Stockport station : Linda, Tracy, Sue
and myself. We alighted at Lostock Gralam in a murky drizzle.
We proceeded along the canal to the
Anderton boat lift. We stopped to watch a trip boat descend slowly on
the lift (‘it’s health & safety’ we were told, accounted for the
slow progress). The prospect of tea and cake from the well appointed
café was too much to resist and it was nearly mid-day before we
continued on our way.
It would now take too long to get to the planned pub stop for lunch; so we sought shelter under
a suitable bridge to partake of our victuals. It was mid afternoon by
the time we did make it to the pub above Preston Brook tunnel. We had an
extra round of drinks in the vain hope that the rain would relent; had
we waited for the rain to stop we would certainly still be there now.
We trudged on along the Bridgwater canal
in the gathering murk. Somewhat bedraggled, we finally made it to
Stockton Heath. The bunting had been put out to mark us completing the
Cheshire ring, some one hundred miles; but that was about all that could
be said in its favour.
A visit to the adjacent hostelry failed to
lift Sue’s spirits; Sue was thinking of sunnier climes and wishing that
she had dry feet……
We splashed our way back to Warrington; hoping for better weather on our next canal jaunt.
John H
