Saturday 25 June 2016

It was forecast to rain this afternoon so we set off at 9ish.  We are heading for a pub called the Shady Oak which is in the middle of nowhere over looked by the ruin of Beeston Castle.  

We were only saying this morning that we hadn't been through a double lock since we left London when we arrived at the Bunbury staircase lock which is a double lock!  In fact all the locks from here to Chester are doubles and they feel so big.

It's funny but the countryside here looks different to that in Wales.  Having had a week back in London we had forgotten what the countryside smells like - we must have got used to it before we went back. 

The locks are slow here as they are twice as big and on several of them there is a paddle out of action which slows things down even more.  Especially when the people coming in the opposite direction have left the bottom paddle open when they are coming up - the poor woman had already done the walk of shame from the previous lock because she had left a paddle partially open there too!  I bet she didn't live it down all day.

We thought we would stop here rather than arriving in Chester on a Saturday afternoon and I thought there was live music on in the pub but it is next week!

Once moored we didn't get the promised rain so I took myself off for a walk.  I decided to climb the hill to the castle ruin but when I got there I was met by a gate and a tariff of entrance fees - I hadn't realised it was an English Heritage site and didn't have any money with me!

Making my way back down the hill I had to go back through a cow field - I could only see one on my way up but on my way down there were about 40 standing around the pathway through, so I waited until some walkers were coming the other way so we could meet in the middle!

I wonder who bought this - him or her!

Remembering my Uncle Bryan.

Looks like we are arriving at the stables not Bunbury Staircase Lock!

A double Lock!

With a volunteer and an enthusiastic boater coming the other way I got back on board and left the locking to them!

That's a motel up there - looks quite grand don't you think?

|The countryside has a different feel here.

In Beeston Lock - with flanged plates to overcome running sand below it.

It's also quite deceiving as it looks like a double lock but can only accommodate one narrowboat at a time!

That's Beeston Castle ruins up there - apparently you can view 8 counties from the top.

Mooring up by the Shady Oak - looks like a few others have had the same idea - well it is the only pub for five miles in either direction!

I thought this cow was coming to see me off but she just wanted a drink!

Where did this lot come from - they weren't there when I came through the field!