A quiet day at the Shady

It’s not in fact rained as hard or consistently as had been forecast, but tomorrow still looks a lot better so we’ve still stayed put. We’ve not been totally idle and have taken a couple of walks, mostly in the dry. This part of the world looks after its footpaths well, with good signs and well maintained gates. Cheshire East and Chester is one of the better off local authorities, of course.

This morning we explored the Sandstone Trail in the opposite direction to the route up to Beeston Castle. Neither of us felt energetic enough to attempt that, though we have done it in the past and it’s well worth the effort for the views from the top. The other direction climbed gently for a while, crossed the road which leads to the Shady Oak and then met another road after crossing a further field. After that it seemed to head off along that road, so we turned back having done most of a mile.

This afternoon, we just rambled back the way we’d come along the towpath. There are the early signs of Autumn visible already, no doubt brought on by the unseasonably chilly and damp conditions (ho, ho – when was August ever any different?) We saw some ripening sloes on a blackthorn bush and a tree full of crab apples that were starting to blush pink. Back at the boat, we had to open side hatches and doors as the sun had come out and it was now very warm. It looks as if that’s going to be the pattern for the first half of this month, wet and windy mixed with warm and breezy.

Tomorrow, we’ll work back up the six locks to Calveley, then press on towards Church Minshull next day having stopped to fill the water tank again.

At Calveley.

On a Saturday.

An early start, that day, methinks, which at least should mean we get to Cholmondeston Lock in good time, another busy location on a Saturday in summer. Oh well, it could be worse, we could be queueing for hours at some Mediterranean airport because of the new rules on passport checks in and out of the Schengen area.

Location:Shady Oak