Thursday July 26th, Bollington Aqueduct - Above Bosley Locks

Whilst yesterday was a tad airless so that when the sun did finally make an appearance it became hot & sultry, today started much the same (grey & overcast) even going so far as to threaten up with a few drops of rain before the sun appeared in company with a nice cooling breeze. Once that happened it became a lovely summer’s day.

We left Bollington nice and early, passing a few moored boats and the backs of chalet bungalows, some with nicely landscaped gardens incorporating the canal as part of the whole (Ground Force seemed to have been here judging by the amount of timber decking on display, yet there were some (fortunately a minority) who take no interest in the opportunities to enjoy their water frontage, nor their gardens.

Adelphi Mill, Bollington

Interest is spurred by the wharf with its moored boats and the enormous and well preserved Adelphi Mill opposite, home to offices and small businesses. Both the Adelphi Mill and the Clarence Mill we passed yesterday pose like bookends, neatly enfolding Bollington between them.

After another jumble of boats at Kerridge Drydock, a very mundane section follows taking us past Macclesfield. There isn’t much green belt left between the two towns as the industrial estates edge further outwards. The canal is fringed by a high green security fence backed by tall and spindly conifers that hide half a mile or so of Macclesfield’s northerly industrial section before another built up area of houses and a surprising green section as the canal passes over a tiny river on a high embankment announce the entry into the town of Macclesfield proper.

A winding hole, portacabin and moored boats indicate the former home of the now closed Peak Forest Cruisers hire fleet before passing under Buxton Road Bridge, the magnificent Hovis Mill appears.

Hovis Mill, Macclesfield

This was built in the 1820’s and was the place where the famous brown flour was first milled. Milling continued here for many years until it moved elsewhere and the mill became home to the company’s printing and marketing department. Now it has been tastefully converted to apartments overlooking a wide basin full of moored boats.

And that’s about as good as it gets for Macclesfield. Moorings here are pretty poor – a short length of visitor moorings and a long length of walled bank against which boats are unable to get closer than at least a foot necessitating either a giant leap for mankind or a gangplank. The town centre itself is a good half mile down and then up a fairly steep hill, before you turn round to do it again. We were not surprised to see no boats tied up there.

The canal clings to a shelf with the towpath side towered over by a huge retaining wall complete with buttresses. Last time we cruised along here in 2008 part of this had collapsed and the rebuilt section was plain to see.

A cutting follows before the canal curves round to pass the moorings and cross over the aqueduct at Gurnett. This is a popular mooring spot, complete with a well-known historic pub and attractive parkland. The river is the Bollin, last seen at Dunham Massey on the Bridgewater Canal what seems a long time ago.

The main Stoke on Trent to Manchester railway line comes alongside for a short distance. This is the line we had travelled on from Stoke en route to Sheffield in mid-April.

Oakgrove Swing bBidge

Two swing bridges follow, the first carrying a public footpath across the canal. We were fortunate as we had been following another boat and they opened it for us. However, this meant that we had to reciprocate at the electrified swing bridge at Oakgrove, adjacent to the Fool’s Nook pub. Many a tale was told in years gone by of the almost unintelligible instructions that were posted on the bridge control panel and the long lines of impatient drivers held up by boat crews who couldn’t work out what to do next. Fortunately it is much simplified today and I managed to get the bridge open to let both boats through.

Shortly after Oakgrove swing bridge is the base for Brian & Anne-Marie on ‘Alton’ who had filled our diesel tank up on Sunday. ‘Alton’ was there, together with ‘St Austell’ & ‘Shirley’, and it was evidently replenish the stocks day as Brian & Anne-Marie were there lugging gas cylinders around. We had a quick chat as we passed. They are a lovely couple who work very hard and have a loyal collection of customers on the Macclesfield & Peak Forest Canals who keep them very busy.

We had not made any firm plans about stopping, but had thought to try and find a place above Bosley Locks if we could. It seemed difficult to start with as the canal passed through a dark, heavily wooded section, followed by a length with no piled banking.

We did eventually find some more piled banking but at first were not able to get in as the side was too shallow. However, we were luckier on our second attempt (aided by the knowledge that there was a boat already tied up here) and, despite an overgrown bank, managed to get one of the best moorings for depth for a long time. We are close to the top of the locks and will be able to get them done first thing tomorrow before, we hope, it gets too hot!

Mooring above Bosley Locks, The Cloud just vsible in the distance

Mooring above Bosley Locks