Monday April 30th, Middlewich - Anderton

As Esther Philips once warbled in 1975, “what a difference a day makes”. Yesterday was foul, awful the type of day when you are thankful you don’t have to budge from the warm, dry cosiness of your boat. Stick some more coal and a log or two on the stove and settle back and sympathise with the poor buggers who have no option but to cruise. And there were some who did, soaked, bedraggled and cold. Poor souls.

That type of weather has characterised our stay at Middlewich – a much longer stay than we had planned. Whilst we don’t mind getting wet – and, let’s face it, we did get very wet last Wednesday – we draw the line at getting soaked just for the sake of it.

After arriving at Middlewich on Wednesday, we ventured out briefly to get our mail from the post office. It rained. Thursday, we did the shopping in the town centre. It rained. Friday, we actually moved in between the rain showers from the very noisy mooring above King’s Lock, down King’s Lock and the three Town Locks to the normal visitor moorings below Townbridge. It rained continuously after we tied up. Saturday wasn’t too bad, but we stayed put as we knew what Sunday would bring.

And bring it, it did! Howling gales, driving torrential rain and significantly colder weather were all thrown at us.



Big Lock, Middlewich

But to reiterate good old Esther’s feelings, “what a difference a day makes”. Blue sky, sunshine and much warmer weather greeted us.

We were soon at the well-known Big Lock. Big – because it was built to wide beam width to enable wide boats to trade between Anderton and Middlewich. However, nearby Croxton Aqueduct was damaged by floods in the 1930’s and rebuilt to narrow gauge dimensions. So Big Lock slumbers away (when it’s not busy as it sometimes can be here) no doubt dreaming of the wide boats that carried cargoes twixt salt works and chemical works.



The Big Lock

The Big Lock pub stands alongside, now expanded into the adjacent building that looks suspiciously like old canal stabling. The pub is popular as a food venue and has an attractive Dutch style gable and some fancy terra-cotta work over a doorway.

Once down Big Lock, it is not far before green fields take over and the scenery gets much more attractive. We hadn’t seen much of green fields since we arrived at Wheelock almost a week ago. The journey to Middlewich last Wednesday was largely shrouded in a grey, wet cloak.



Croxton Aqueduct

The canal meanders between open fields and woodland, following the River Dane which it crosses on the aforementioned narrow Croxton Aqueduct. It is a most attractive section. The canal widens every now and then with flashes, caused by former salt workings subsiding, giving a sensation of cruising on The Broads. But woe betide any boater who strays off the beaten track as they are very shallow.

Glimpses of Whatcroft Hall can be seen through the trees, its two handsome lodges sit on both sides of the entrance drive as it crosses over the canal. Judging by the BMW’s in the driveways, they are privately owned nowadays.

After passing under a little used railway line and round a sharp bend, the canal reaches the complexes of wide lakes and separate pools that are known as Billinge Green Flashes. These make an idyllic backdrop to the canal and, essentially, an end to the delightful countryside we have been passing through. It does degenerate now.

The flashes are a popular mooring place although today they were bereft of boats. We have moored there before, most noticeably in 2005 when England won the second test against the Australians by just 3 runs in a nail biting finale. Elaine had to go out and polish the brasses as I was so tensed up, walking up and down inside the boat as I couldn’t keep still!

After the moored boats of Orchard Marina, the canal enters a semi industrialised section. The aroma of freshly bake bread wafts over from Robert’s Bakery who supply supermarkets in this area. After the houses of Broken Cross, the canal steers a course through the middle of the huge Brunner Mond works.

Brunner Mond works, Broken Cross

A network of gantries and pipe bridges criss-cross the canal. Steam belches from open pipes and valves. Unseen machinery hums away. Strange aromas tickle the nostrils. It is cruising, Jim, but not as we know it.

Mind you, as we exited the maze of pipes at the far end we were assaulted by an evil stench that caught and burned the back of your throat. Thankfully we were soon through, and downing our half past 10’s. It does make you wonder if it damages your insides in some way, though. The stench that is, not Elaine’s squash & choccie biccies!

Wincham Wharf with its jumble of boats follows with the canal now entering a most nondescript section. A lot of derelict land, formerly salt workings and chemical works, surrounds the canal. Some redevelopment has taken place, but the outskirts of Northwich, which include the settlements of Broken Cross, Wincham, Lostock Gralam, Marston and Anderton make for a pretty dismal landscape.

A large fertiliser factory adds another not altogether pleasant niff to the air, whilst on the opposite side, an old derelict house and outbuildings, affected long ago by subsidence and settling at all angles, has now finally been demolished.

Further on there are most encouraging signs at the Lion Salt Works that featured some years ago on BBC’s Restoration programme. After a long campaign, Lottery funding has been obtained and a programme of rebuilding and restoration is finally under way. The works were the last open pan salt works in the country and are a remarkable example of what was once a thriving industry hereabouts.

The straight line of the canal immediately after is the result of a 1950’s rebuilding as the original line was constantly being affected by subsidence. More flashes appear on both sides of the canal.

Having spent 5 nights at Middlewich, our loo situation was close to critical, and we regrettably passed by our favoured mooring just at the end of the long straight here. Round the sharp bend, the canal essays a passage through the woods and bluebells of Marbury Country Park – a popular walking area for locals and their dogs.

Anderton Sanitary Station then comes into view. We usually stop here on our way to and from the Bridgewater Canal as facilities on that canal are few and far between and not too salubrious while we’re about it. It is usually thronged with boats and we normally have to mawmble around until a vacancy appears. Today, however, its moorings were empty and we cruised straight in and emptied both loos, got rid of the rubbish and filled up the water tank. Needless to say, soon after we turned on the water tap two other boats appeared wanting to use the facilities and the second one had to do what we usually have to do – mawmble.

Having completed our sanitary duties, we moved on past the entrance to Uplands Marina and tied up on the mooring rings opposite the Alvechurch Marina and hirebase we used when we cruised the 4 Counties Ring on ‘Gannet’ in 2001, our last but one hire boat holiday.

Mooring at Anderton