A fantastic piece of engineering.

Leaving Middlewich down the Big Lock,leaving Pamela and Nathans car in the pub car park(by arraignment)for the week. We went only a short distance to bridge 176 where there is a mooring with picnic tables and Barbique stands. It was a lovely day so we moored and relaxed in the sun. Pamela, Nathan and the kids did some canoeing before having our Barbique in the evening. Archie and I pitched the tent and camped out that night. Next morning Pamela jogged with the dog for a while and Nathan took Archie and Amberley as far as Broken Cross in the canoe. We moored at Anderton that night and booked our passage on the lift. At ten fifteen next morning we took our place at the lift mooring ready to decend to the river Weaver. What a fantastic piece of engineering it is, originally done with water driven hydraulics, then changed to cables and counter weights and then in 2002 when it was restored put back to hydraulics but oil this time. The restoration cost seven million pounds,half from the Lottary and half from donations. We were only on the Weaver for about an hour before coming back up the lift but what an experience. Mooring at Marbury Country park Wednesday night. Thursday morning we walked round the country park before returning to the picnic site at bridge 176. Nathan and Archie camped out Thursday night. We. Returned to Middlewich Friday morning in heavy rain, in need of a pump out we had to go up the three narrow locks to Middlewich Narrowboats then back down to moor as close to the pub as we could. In the evening we went to the pub for a meal. Saturday Pamela,Nathen and the kids went home. Marlene and I decided to turn the boat around and go back up the three Middlewich locks. The sun was out,however we mistimed it and found our selves behind a few hire boats starting out from their base at the bottom of the locks. The clouds were gathering as we started up the first lock and by the time we got to the top lock the heavens opened and we had thunder and hail stones. We were absolutely soaked within a few minutes. We topped up our diesel at Kings lock Chandelry before going up Kings Lock and mooring and going to the fish shop for our dinner. By this time the sun was out again. From the top of Kings Lock we moved on to Wheelock on Sunday doing four locks. Yesterday morning we set off to start the climb up Malkins Bank, a climb of seventy nine feet six ins. There were five boats in front of us at the bottom lock,but we finally got our turn to start. Part way up the locks we met Hilary and Nigel, friends of ours from Sawley Marina. They were coming down the flight,it was great to catch up with what had all been doing. We did ten locks in all and moored at the top of Hassall Green locks. Today we have done another ten locks and moored at Church Lawton where,in 2009 we went to the harvest festival,were a bit early this year. The forecast is for rain tomorrow so we will probably stay here another night.