Another break down!

By Heather Bell, Posted on September 28, 2025

What can I say, this year is becoming rather too eventful for my liking!

At the start of September we spent a few days in Barlaston and then stayed in Stone for a week. Finally we headed off for a bit of peace and quiet in the countryside….. except …. Ian soon discovered that we had a problem, he spotted, what he thought was, oil in the engine coolant. So instead of relaxing we ended up limping the boat gently to a spot closer to a main road. After several phone calls, he managed to find an engineer to come and assess the damage. The resulting temporary fix added pipe work to prevent the gearbox oil from leaking into the coolant and several plans were suggested for a permanent fix. Our Beta Marine engine is now 28 years old and the later models have had a redesign to prevent this problem from happening. So it was going to be a bit of a “bodge job” as those parts won’t fit our engine. Ian later worked out that there wasn’t oil in the coolant or water in the gearbox. It looks like there is some corrosion of the oil cooler but it’s ok right now. The 28 year old oil cooler pipes are now stiff and brittle and with all the messing about, one developed a small leak. So we now have some new oil cooler pipes.

Happy with our fix, we moved off to Great Haywood to use the service point and then onto Tixall Wide. This is a busy junction, it’s the meeting of the Trent & Mersersy and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canals but there’s also a hire boat company, a service point and popular moorings for the nearby cafe and farm shop. So there was absolute chaos with boats going every which way trying to hold their position and wait their turn to either pull in for water, make the turn at the junction or to get past everyone who was waiting. It was a huge relief to get on to Tixall Wide and find plenty of space to moor up.

It’s always a bit of fun here. There’s normally plenty of friendly boaters and towpath users as it’s quite picturesque and close to Shugborough Hall. This time there was a bit of a buzz with numerous twitchers wandering around pointing big lenses into the meadow beside us looking for a Marsh Harrier. There’d been a reported sighting of one the previous day, we’d seen Hen Harriers on Uist a few months earlier, so it would be nice to spy a different Harrier. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, but I was chuffed with watching Kingfishers and Kestrels.

We did get our relaxing week, and started to feel quite chilled out. That was until we started phoning around to find a marina to leave the boat in during a trip we have planned for December. Unfortunately for us, due to the water shortages, a large majority of boaters had opted not to do any cruising this summer and retained their mooring or had got stranded in this area, so all the marinas were already full for the winter. Then out of the blue, a stroke of luck (makes a change!). CRT announced that the lock at Gloucester that had been shut all summer due to low water on the Severn was going to be opened every weekend from the middle of September. We made a quick call to a marina on the Gloucester and Sharpness who have promised to squeeze us in…if we can get there before the River Severn goes into flood it’s only 97 miles, 48 locks and 9 moveable bridges away!

After all the low-water driven changes to our plans this year, it’s remarkable that our original plan for the coming winter is back on the cards.

But that mission will have to wait, right now there are other plans afoot, the boat is tied up in a different marina and we’ve headed off on a new adventure…more of that to follow!

The Great Escape!

By Heather Bell, Posted on August 22, 2025

It might have been a great idea, but it was probably the slowest escape on record! Our original plan was to stay moored up in the vicinity of Congleton until Heather had completed the rehab for her new knee. Then, hopefully by the end of September, start heading south for the winter. A list of jobs had been compiled to keep Ian happy, one of which was to sort out why the engine had become so noisy. Ian arranged for an engineer to come out and assess the engine mounts, rubber blocks which support and cushion the engine against the keel. It turns out they were the original mounts; one had completely failed and the other three were on their way out which explained why the engine was so noisy. With new ones fitted the engine is so quiet, we keep thinking there’s something wrong with it!

Lowering water levels on Macclesfield Canal

Unfortunately, (or as usual!) the rest of our original plan fell through. With the continuing dry weather and lack of water, we received the inevitable text alert and email from CRT advising us to stock up on supplies, use any nearby facilities and move the boat off this lower end of the Macclesfield Canal before the end of the week. After that they were going to allow the water level to drop until it equalised to the height of the Trent and Mersey which it joins on to at Hardingswood Junction.

This was not good news. The previous day we’d taken a short cruise to refill the water tank and had already discovered that the current drop in the water level, of about 10 inches, was making it tricky to get through some of the bridge holes, (the canal is narrower and shallower under bridges) the loss of another 6 inches would have the boat stuck, sitting on the canal bed and probably tilted at some ridiculous angle making it impossible to either move or live on. We’d be stuck until sufficient rain had fallen to refill the canal and feeder reservoirs, probably around October or November time.

We needed to move the boat ASAP but we waited a couple of days for Heather to attend her first physio appointment. Then we were off, it was slow going and it took us 3 hours to crawl the 5 miles down to Hall Green Stop Lock. Ian had to put the boat into neutral as we passed under the bridges to stop the stern dragging on the bottom. We came past one boater who was well and truly aground and asked us to put some revs on as we went past in the hope that the drag of our wake would free his boat. Sadly, it didn’t work, and we left him scratching his head. If we’d tried to tow him free we’d probably have damaged his propeller and that’s not an expense you want.

Mooring up just before the junction we were now on the summit level of the T&M and, without many water reserves, this section could also, eventually become too shallow to navigate. The next morning, we made an early start and were the only boat heading south through the Harecastle Tunnel. Needing some respite from the stress of the last week, we pulled over for a couple of nights at Westport Lake.

With various rumours of the whole system being shut down, we decided to keep going and made our way through the Stoke Locks and were happily moored up near to Barlaston village. We’re now hearing news of marinas, such as Lyme View on the Peak Forest Canal, blocking up their entrances with stop planks in an attempt to preserve their water and keep their moored boats floating. As I type this, notifications are coming in of more closures, so the buzz on the towpath telegraph might not be wrong and the whole system could end up grinding to a halt. I wonder how far we’ll get!

Online map from CRT of stoppages and advisories 22/08/2025

A Lazy May

By Heather Bell, Posted on May 22, 2024

Our hero, Hollie the motorhome on the Isle of Harris

It was time to get back to the boat, but our planned lazy May began with a rather expensive hiccup. After the trip to the Hebrides, Hollie the van/motorhome was due some serious TLC. Time for a full service and MOT plus new tyres and a look at the injectors that had caused some of the problems during our trip. We had intended being back on the boat the following day, but Hollie was proper poorly and was being kept at the garage. The poor mechanic couldn’t believe her engine even started, let alone had driven us the 1500 miles around Scotland. As Hollie is also our accommodation when we’re visiting our hometown, we ended up sleeping on a fold out bed for three nights in Grandma’s study while Hollie got fixed!

A corona of the Northern Lights over Cheshire

Eventually they let Hollie out with a caveat (come back if she’s struggling again) and we are hoping it was all a ruse to keep us in Congleton for a few extra days. The highlight of that extra time was spending an evening watching the Aurora Borealis in the back garden with our family. Sadly, the colours weren’t strong enough for everyone to see but we could all spot the moving shapes and we agreed that I’m a bit bonkers. I get really excited when I see the lights dancing!

Now we can finally make it back to the boat and it’s Heron’s turn for some TLC. During June she’s going to be lifted out of the water, have her bottom washed (hull gritblasted) and a new black coating applied (2-pack epoxy – the boat version of an expensive waterproof!). The water tank is also going to get cleaned and painted with the same stuff, it’s only 17 years overdue! So, we are on a mission to get Heron to the boatyard by June 3^rd. We could probably do the whole distance in four days as it’s only 44 miles and 26 locks but we have three weeks. So we’re taking our time and enjoying the scenery! We’re on stretches of canal that we’ve cruised many times before with very familiar locks, tunnels, bridges and pubs to mark our way. In fact, it was in this area, some 35 years ago, that we hired our first boat from Jannel Cruisers in Burton upon Trent and fell in love with narrow-boating and canals.

We’ve had a few days on Tixall Wide then headed south along the Trent & Mersey Canal (T&M) to Fradley junction. The only disaster so far has been to run out of coffee beans. This was quickly remedied by Ian and the dog doing a 2 mile round trip to the nearest convenience store. In all the time we’ve been boating, this is the first time that we’ve actually stopped and had a meal at The Swan at Fradley Junction. And despite how strange it sounds, Ian definitely recommends the chicken burger with curry sauce!

The infamous Swan pub at Fradley Junction

It’s been lovely to experience some dry weather. The hot sunny days have brought out the flowers; the May blossom is dusting the hedgerows with white snow and the yellow irises are reflecting sunlight onto the water. The whole place is bursting with new life, there are mallard ducklings, moorhen chicks and cygnets everywhere. Sammy and the Barefoot Boater have been for some longer walks, and in the evenings we’ve relaxed outside to the sounds of Song Thrushes having a sing off with the Blackbirds and watching the moths being chased by bats. Whilst in the cabin, the spiders (big scuttling things that watch you and drop down onto your legs) are planning a takeover of the boat. The wide grassy towpath has given us space to set up deck chairs and burn a few logs in the fire pit; me happily burning marshmallows and Ian sipping his favourite malt. I should admit it – I had some of his whisky too!. It is nice to be home, to be lazy and to stay “still” for a while before our next adventure begins!

Time for Tixall

By Heather Bell, Posted on April 5, 2024

Bottle kilns beside the Caldon Canal

We were going to take our time heading south on the Trent & Mersey (T&M) to Great Haywood, but with the promise of a sunny Easter weekend, we opted to push on in the hope of getting a good spot at Tixall Wide before the Bank Holiday rush. As we headed into Stoke-on-Trent again, it’s always a joy to see these iconic bottle kilns. During the 19th century and at the height of production in the “Potteries”, there were over 2,000 of these kilns in Stoke. Sadly, these are two of the 47 left standing. Many can be seen in the Longport conservation area and they are still used in Middleport Pottery, but this pair aren’t far from Milton China in Hanley.

Descending the Stoke Five Locks, we were fortunate to have help from a chap known as “Rob the Lock” who cycles along the tow path helping boaters through them. Apparently if you’re lucky enough to meet this gentleman he’ll also offer to help with shopping, water and laundry runs. He’s been doing this for 20 years, but despite this being our home area, this was our first meeting!

Heading past the former Joules Brewery in Stone

Heading south, we got to Stone, the site of 2 previous breakdowns. This time, we didn’t need to get the tiller welded back on. And the alternator didn’t give up. Success!

Back in February 2022, Tixall Wide was our first destination as liveaboard boaters and we were hit by two storms during our stay. The muddy tow paths were horrendous, and the lake had a couple of potential breaches (small leaks), which we did photograph and report to CRT. So we were pleasantly surprised to discover that remedial work had been done and the complete length of the tow path from Great Haywood to Tixall Lock had been re-laid and new Armco (steel piling) inserted along the edge of the lake to prevent those scary little leaks.

The sun sets over crowded moorings alongside Tixall Wide

This was quite timely as the land around has become waterlogged over this winter and the adjacent pastures have been flooded for many months creating a new wetland. This has given me a chance to use my binoculars and spy out a few wading birds such as egrets and oyster catchers.

As usual in the UK, the Spring weather has been rather mixed, but we are loving the occasional warmer days. We’ve opted for a longer stay here and Ian’s been off on his barefoot walks whilst I’ve been knitting, baking, reading and bird watching. It’s a hard life.

Easter Floating Market at Haywood Junction

Over the Easter weekend, there’s been a Floating Market down by Hayward junction of the T&M. This is always worth a visit, there was a lovely atmosphere and we HAD to stop by the cheese boats and a few of the crafty ones (including Snoot Loot selling boxes of dog treats). It was great to see children filling out quiz sheets and shuffling around the sellers looking for names of the boats and their wares. Lunch was freshly cooked stone baked pizza followed by coffee and cake at one of the café boats before the mile walk back to our boat.

It’s also been a time for reflection (pun intended) with some very dramatic sunrises and sunsets. Despite some spells of very wet weather, the sun has been resilient and we’ve soaked it up along with the birdsong and enjoyed chatting with the gongoozlers who wander along admiring the boats. Unfortunately we do have one visitor who’s not so friendly. There’s a young swan who attacks the side of the boat with his beak, the noise inside our steel home is rather loud and my only mode of retaliation is to wave the washing up brush at him through the duck hatch – I don’t think he’s getting the message and I probably look like a wild washer woman!! (Probably??? – nothing probable about it – Ian)

We have descended!

By Heather Bell, Posted on March 19, 2024

It seems a lifetime ago, but after nearly 4 months of repairs, at 12:00 noon on the 23rd February 2024, the padlocks were removed from the top lock of the Wigan Flight and we were part of the first group of boats to make the descent. We paired up with some new friends and spent 5 hours chugging slowly down the 21 locks before heading around the corner to do 2 more on the Leigh Branch. It was going dark as we pulled in beside Scotman’s Flash, but we were extremely relieved to get there.

Arriving late at Scotman’s Flash Country Park

Over the following days we pootled along the Bridgewater Canal and moored up close to Dunham Massey. With dry weather and open countryside around us, we relaxed back into cruising mode whilst the shadows of the hills of Lancashire slipped away into the distance.

Passing over the Manchester Ship Canal on the Barton Swing Aqueduct

At Dutton Stop Lock (which was overtopping both the top and bottom gates) we sent up a cheer as we left the Bridgewater and finally re-joined the Trent & Mersey Canal. Then I said “all we need now is a kingfisher “and gave a squeal of delight, as a streak of teal blue did a flypast. Perfect.

Dutton Dry Dock on the Trent & Mersey Canal

Heading on past the Anderton Boat Lift, we had another stoppage to get through at Middlewich. This was a planned replacement of some lock gates, the old ones having become too leaky after lasting 20 years. An impressive amount of time considering the battering that they take from the water and the boats.

Heading to the repaired Bottom Lock at Middlewich

After a few days of waiting, the sun came out and Spring arrived bringing blue skies and sunshine that was warm enough to dry off our mooring ropes (they have been wet, muddy, and rather heavy ever since leaving Skipton in December). We were now cruising in familiar territory along the plains of Cheshire, aiming for Wheelock Wharf where we moored up for a few days.

A favourite mooring near Crow’s Nest Bridge

A walk into Sandbach town led to the sights and sounds of the indoor market and a Makers market. The latter being held on the cobbles by the old Saxon Crosses. This market place is surrounded by historic buildings that give a certain atmosphere that just reeks of times past with wattle and daub timber-framed buildings with old brick and stone work.

We have lots of memories of past family holidays in this area and it’s fascinating to see how places have changed even in the few months that we’ve been “up North”. Time waits for no one it seems, but then again, some views are timeless.