Market Drayton to Audlem

Thu 9^th July  Market Drayton to Adderley Top Lock.

When the rain had stopped, we left Market Drayton, pausing briefly at the facilities to top up with water, empty cassettes and dump some rubbish. 

Setting off from market Drayton

Covered loading wharf

We had no locks today, and had a fairly uneventful cruise through pleasant countryside and one long line of moored boats. At one point there was a fallen tree to negotiate, although the worst had been removed to allow boats to pass. 

Fallen Tree

We moored before the locks started, as arranged with Tim and Hilary. However, the submerged shelf was at its worst here, and we were stuck out from the side, using a plank to get ashore, with the hull bumping against the shelf every time a boat went past. 

Moored by Adderley Top, using a plank

We went for a walk down the locks to check the moorings at the bottom, which were much better, with boats right in to the side. We decided to move the boat down in the morning for our barbecue with Tim and Hilary.

 0 locks, 3 miles. Dep 1120, arr 1245

 Fri 10^th July  Adderley Top Lock to Hawksmoor moorings

We descended through the Adderley Locks in a queue of four boats. Thankfully, there were also boats coming up. There was a lot of water coming down the bywashes. 

Adderley Locks

We moored at the bottom of the locks, before Hawksmoor Bridge, where there were rings, and a space for Willowbrook as well. Tim and Hilary arrived on Willowbrook soon after, and we had a good time of catching up. 

Hilary, Tim, Mollie

We had planned to have a barbecue, but there was a very strong wind, so we invited them onto Gabriel for an evening meal.

James had received an email from debt collectors, chasing the disputed invoice from Three. Despite two letters from us over a month ago, and several online chats requesting someone to contact us, Three have not had the courtesy to respond, and instead have called in the debt collectors. We have been customers for ten years and are being treated like dirt. James sent an email to the debt collectors, with copies of our letters to Three, asking for an email address for Three, or a phone number that works. 

Moored with Willowbrook

Sunset

  5 locks, 1 mile. Dep 0925, arr 1050

 Sat 11^th July  Hawksmoor moorings to Cox Bank, Audlem

Willowbrook set off early, as they had realised that they had to put in some extra hours to get to Norton Junction for a rendezvous with another boater. We helped them up the Adderley Locks, and we achieved the five locks in 30 minutes. 

Willowbrook on Adderley Locks

Farewell to Tim and Hilary

We set off later, and went down the first two locks of the Audlem flight, stopping at Cox Bank, where there are good moorings, and it is quiet. There was a gentle sunset later. 

Water art

 Moored at Cox Bank

Sunset

2 locks, 1 mile.  Dep 0935, arr 1035

Sun 12^th July  Cox Bank to The Boat Inn, Audlem

There was heavy dew this morning, which soon cleared in the sunshine. 

The dew and the view

The first lock, lock 3, was empty, but the rest were full. We met two boats coming up, as well as lots of dog walkers.  There were some interesting buildings on the way down. 

Going down through the Audlem locks

Interesting canal buildings 

We stopped outside the Boat Inn in the centre of the Audlem moorings. 

Moored in Audlem

Audlem church

We had time to go and get some shopping from the Co-op in Audlem, and investigate pub lunches. We booked a table at the Boat Inn for 1pm, as we saw they were offering a Sunday roast. We once took part in a weekly singaround here, joined by Roger and Mirjana, but that is not happening at the moment.

Back on board, we followed the Broughton Church meeting on Facebook, which featured a worship team online performance of O Lord my God, joined with Amazing Grace. Thankfully, Ben had done a great job of editing, cutting out James’s croaky bits.

Then we had our Life Group on Zoom. It is good to catch up with people.

Our Sunday Roast at the Boat Inn was excellent. We didn’t need a dessert. 

Sunday Roast

Afterwards we had a look round the Mill where they have the best collection of canal related books we have seen anywhere. We came away with ice creams, and paused at the “Cheese aboard” boat for some Wensleydale with rhubarb. 

Audlem Mill

Our afternoon snooze was disturbed a but by crowds of people outside at the Shroppie Fly, and lots of boats using the locks, causing our boat to knock against the underwater shelf. 

Audlem moorings

10 locks, 1 mile. Dep 0730, arr 0850

Next: Continuing down the Shroppie (altitudinally) or up (geographically) to Nantwich and then across to Middlewich and the Trent and Mersey. No appointments. No rush.