Heading for a heartbreak

Actually, I've never had a problem with the Cheshire Locks, aka Heartbreak Hill. Yes, there are a lot of locks in a short distance, but it's nothing like as daunting as Hatton, aka the Stairway to Heaven, or Tardebigge. We usually take three or four days over it, mind; it must be a bit different if you're trying to do the Four Counties in a week, and have to slog up from say Wheelock to the north portal of Harecastle in a day.

As predicted, we had no trouble at Middlewich overnight, though the fact that it tipped it down must have helped, and we set off just after seven again. The turn out at the junction went OK, though Wedgwood Boatbuilder's habit of mooring a boat right opposite makes life a bit tricky for the 70 footer. I was glad there wasn't much wind, and only had to go astern once.

Then it was a gentle plod, really. It's over two years since we were in Middlewich, and since then factories like the Bisto one have just disappeared. The pound above Booth Lane isn't any more thrilling than it was. Sheila's analysis was "At least it's better than Stoke" which frankly ain't saying an awful lot.

Not that it's bad, you understand, just a bit dull and post-industrial, with plain piled and concrete capped edges and scruffy fields broken by sporadic factories. Approaching Wheelock, we passed a Middlewich Boat, Maple, well stemmed up on the towpath side. She was crewed by three lads, one of them walking along the offside gunwale in a dressing gown and bare feet (I know, how often do you see a gunwale in a dressing gown?) and they finally got away after we'd passed.

Arriving at the visitor moorings at half ten, we found no one else here, and had our pick of the length. Several more boats have now turned up; this technique of start early, stop early is surely the one to use on a popular stretch of canal in high season.

Tonight we plan to eat out, probably at the Italian by the service wharf, then it will be another early start tomorrow, heading for Hassal Green, most likely.