Sunday
We had moored close to the bridge with a footpath to the nearby Waverton church. Christine established, via A Church near You, that communion was at 9 am. We were warmly welcomed - two couples were quite enthusiastic about canals. It was a traditional form of worship (Common Worship Order One in Traditional Language for afficionados) with a retired canon presiding. It was not the main service for the day (which was matins at 10:15) but almost 30 in the congregation.
After walking back to the boat we set off for Chester. Shortly before the first lock at Christleton, a Wirral Narrowboat Trust boat pulled out just metres in front of us. It turned out that they were on a 'lock training' trip for volunteers - the Trust runs trips most days with a couple of boats - young children through to 'pensioners and 'the mentally retarded' - but this set of volunteers were tending towards the upper age limit - hence the terminology!
We opted to share locks with them although they offered to let us go ahead after the first lock. Neverthless, they did not impede us too much, especially when they realised that Christine could go ahead to set the next lock! They paused, ready to turn around, after the fifth lock.
The route around the city walls is in places quite spectacularly cut narrowly through red rock and in other places building loom tall either side. Soon we arrived at the Northgate Locks - a staircase of three locks. with a combined fall of over 33 feet, they are heavy work. Mike was able to explain how they worked to two American men - not together - who came and expressed interest in what was happening. neither had seen anything like it before.
On then with a nearly three hour cruise towards Ellemere Port - slightly longer than we had expected so it was not until around half past four that we reached the basin.
We had moored close to the bridge with a footpath to the nearby Waverton church. Christine established, via A Church near You, that communion was at 9 am. We were warmly welcomed - two couples were quite enthusiastic about canals. It was a traditional form of worship (Common Worship Order One in Traditional Language for afficionados) with a retired canon presiding. It was not the main service for the day (which was matins at 10:15) but almost 30 in the congregation.
After walking back to the boat we set off for Chester. Shortly before the first lock at Christleton, a Wirral Narrowboat Trust boat pulled out just metres in front of us. It turned out that they were on a 'lock training' trip for volunteers - the Trust runs trips most days with a couple of boats - young children through to 'pensioners and 'the mentally retarded' - but this set of volunteers were tending towards the upper age limit - hence the terminology!
We opted to share locks with them although they offered to let us go ahead after the first lock. Neverthless, they did not impede us too much, especially when they realised that Christine could go ahead to set the next lock! They paused, ready to turn around, after the fifth lock.
The route around the city walls is in places quite spectacularly cut narrowly through red rock and in other places building loom tall either side. Soon we arrived at the Northgate Locks - a staircase of three locks. with a combined fall of over 33 feet, they are heavy work. Mike was able to explain how they worked to two American men - not together - who came and expressed interest in what was happening. neither had seen anything like it before.
On then with a nearly three hour cruise towards Ellemere Port - slightly longer than we had expected so it was not until around half past four that we reached the basin.
Although there is a water point, the museum official who greeted us at the top of the lock explained that there was no longer an Elsan dispoal and pump-out facility - they had been converted into the kitchen for the museum's cafe! However he offered to sort us out when the museum had closed (at five) so we took a quick look around the site, even though there was not enough time to look at everything, not at the many exhibitions and displays.
The whole complex is quite impressive, even though Telford's original warehouse, which was burnt down by vandals in the 1980's has been replaced with a Holiday Inn!
The basins around the museum contain a number of historic boats of different purposes - including one of the famous ice breaking boats that took ten men to rock from side to side to open a passage along a canal in winter. With a view out across the Manchester Ship Canal and the river beyond, we realised that this year we have navigated from Thames to Mersey!
Despite a promise of "just ten minutes" from the friendly museum official, it was almost six o'clock before we were able to set off (perhaps best not to enquire about how he 'helped' us!)
The trip back seemed to be much quicker - but it usually does when travelling along a more familiar stretch - and we moored alongside the golf course just outside Chester before half past eight. More than ready for tonight's roast pork!
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