Down to Wheelock

Another damp, misty start to the day, but it had started to clear by the time we decided to get going at around 11:00. No rush today, just a short trip to the bottom of the “thick”.

All’s right with the world, the Skipper back on the tiller at Malkins Bank.

Apart from it being brighter, leaving it later meant that we started to meet upcoming boats almost immediately.

Mallard testosterone is powerful stuff! 

At the last lock we met two ex working boats, Cowburn and Cowpar’s Swan, and Fellows, Morton and Clayton’s Dove.
Swan would have been a regular on this stretch from when she was built by Yarwoods in Northwich in 1933. WH Cowburn and Cowpar were chemical manufacturers at Trafford Park and ran a regular delivery service down to the Midlands.

Swan leaving Lock 66

Apart from the satellite dish and TV aerials the picture could have been taken 70 years ago…

I played with photo of Dove, too…
We moored on the straight below the locks, before the village of Wheelock.

I was hoping that Lynn at Hair of the Dog would be able to fit Meg in for a haircut, but it looks like she’s too busy at this time. She made a good job of it 2 years ago. Last year we used someone in Middlewich and it was a little too severe. Mags said Meg looked like a rough-plucked duck…


We want to catch Brian and Ann-Marie on coalboat Alton as they head back to Hardings Wood and the Macclesfield Canal, so need to be moored when they pass. Consequently I’m not sure what we’ll be doing over the next couple of days.

Locks 6, miles ¾