Stockton Heath and Dunham Massey

17th & 18th January

We set off from Daresbury just after 9 with Sheila steering in windy but not impossible conditions, and had a fast run to Stockton Heath, arriving just after 10. The Pearson's Canal Companion gives 90 minutes for the run, but Sanity in deep water makes a good 4 knots. As Pearson says of the Bridgewater: it's usually described as the first successful commercial artificial canal in the UK, and it still has a good depth, so Cat Stevens got it right; the first cut is the deepest.

There's plenty of towpath mooring at Stockton, and a good range of shops down the hill towards the Manchester Ship Canal. In fact, if you cross the MSC, as we did, there's a big Morrison's just on the other side. Our return from there was delayed by a few minutes as the swing bridge was swung when we came out of the supermarket, albeit only for a little survey vessel.

After lunch we went shopping again – stocks had got pretty depleted since we were at Middlewich. There's also a very large recycling bank in the car park of the Somerfield on the Stockton side of the MSC, so we had a good clear out.

In the evening, Peter Mason collected us from the boat and took us to his house where we met his wife Susan for the first time. Peter is the new partner in Braidbar, so it was good to have a chance to get to know them, and in fact a brilliant evening was had, with great food, excellent wine and much humorous chat.

Perhaps not surprisingly, we had a relaxed start this morning, pulling along to the Thorn Marine service mooring and filling up with diesel at 65p per litre, which seems to be the standard rate these days. We always try to give Thorn some custom when we pass. They are in a very useful spot on the Bridgewater, a canal not oversupplied with services, but Peel Holdings, who own the Manchester Ship Canal Company, and so the Bridgewater, have been trying to get them out for at least the last five years.

They want to redevelop the site for housing, of course.

We set off again at ten past ten, and boated through very wet conditions to a mooring we've used before at Dunham Massey, getting there at lunchtime. After lunch, I went to check that the bits of parking space near the canal were still there, as Elanor is coming to us tonight, then Graeme, Cathy and Daniel tomorrow, and we're being joined by Peter and Jan for lunch, so we shall have a good boatful.

Just as well I checked – they'd gone. After a hurried conference, it now being after two, we decided to wind straight away, involving a short trip further along the canal, and then check out a series of alternates going back towards Lymm.

In fact the second of these, near Dunham Massey Hall, proved to be spot on, with some parking by the path up to the canal.

I'm now pretty tired – the last bit of boating was seriously demanding, in strong wind and rain, so will finish this now. More in the next instalment as they say, which hopefully will be on Sunday as usual.