Johnsons Hillock

After yesterday's marathon we were not in a hurry to make a start today. The weather forecast seemed to suggest that we would have more rain than sunshine. We also had to make a start on a more permanent repair to the inverter mounting. Once Andrew had managed to put two screws in place it seemed sufficiently stable to make progress as we did not really have enough suitable screws.

The morning was, despite our concerns, generally bright and sunny although the occasional short and light shower led to waterproofs coming out for a limited period.

A low bridge carrying the towpath over the entrance to a small lake seemed too low to admit Leeds and Liverpool sized boats and we could find no mention in our guide books. For now it will have to remain a mystery, albeit a quite elegant one.

Arley Aqueduct above

Arley Aqueduct below

At Arley Aqueduct, Andrew and Christine suggested to Mike that, as there was a clear footpath downwards, he might like to investigate what lay below! He hopped off the boat and found that underneath the canal had once run a railway, now converted to a cycle trail and footpath.

This stretch of the canal is very pleasant and rural, even though built up areas are never far away. Increasingly the noise from the motorway could be heard even when it was nowhere to be seen. The towpath and canal edges are well maintained and could stand as an object lesson for some other regions.

Ominous black clouds started to gather . . .

Reminders of the days when canal boats were horse drawn keep cropping up - this rather surprising example is from an aqueduct wall and resulted from it having been built on a bend in the canal. As the long tow rope 'cut the corner' it rubbed against the stonework.

We stopped at the White Bear BWML Marina to take on water and to top up our diesel tank from the self service credit card machine. Christine popped to the same shop that she used when we passed this way last year. However, when she returned she realised that there were still a few items missing and sent Andrew off to complete the task. Meanwhile the water tap continued to fill up.

At times the clouds lifted and really bright blue skies made it very warm indeed. At the edge of Chorley we stopped for lunch and to give Andrew a chance to pop to a B & Q store for screws and glue. We were opposite the base for a trip boat which later returned with a group of young children having a party. They departed in a white double decker bus.

Preston Mormon Temple, Chorley

After a longer than usual lunch break we set off once more and in the distance we could see the large Mormon Temple. It was here in Chorley and Preston that the first Mormon Missionaries took root in the mid nineteenth century.

Soon the bottom lock in the Johnsons Hillock flight could be seen in the distance.

Walton Summit Branch

Just before the flight is the point at which the original line of the canal went off towards Lancaster, crossing the Ribble with a tramway near Preston.

The first pound was very empty and the boat would not pass over the cill when the top gates were opened. We had to wait a while for enough water to come down - the photo shows at about half time - and allow progress. Since there was water coming down the bypass weirs, it seems that a bad leak in the bottom gates is the culprit.

A bridge immediately above one of the locks was built without a towpath which meant that it was more difficult to work boats up through. Instead of having to pass the rope over the top of the bridge to the horse on the other side, a hook was let into the face of the bridge so that the towrope could be passed around it with the horse walking back the way it had come to get the boat moving. Whilst the boat drifted under the bridge, the horse was uncoupled, taken to the other side and re-joined to carry on to the next lock.

In case that explanation is not clear, here is a photo of the nearby information panel.

The clouds darkened and we heard several rumbles from not far away but luckily they did not pass overhead and we avoided and further rain for the rest of the afternoon.

Christine popped to the ice cream parlour at the Top Lock pub and then we all had a long debate about the merits of the food at nearby pubs. Eventually we opted to moor on the visitor mooring above the top lock and take a walk into the nearest village. The reason? Just to mark the passing of another wedding anniversary, this time the somewhat unspecial 46th!

12.8 miles - 7 locks