Moss Hall Aqueduct, Shropshire Union – Wednesday 18 July 2012
Today I’ve travelled about one and a half miles, but there were fifteen locks!  Ready to go at 09:15 and had moved ready to go into the first lock when the phone rang.  I let the next two boats through then at 10:00 was ready to go again.  It worked in my favour as at each lock there was a boat coming the other way so we left gates open for each other.  At Audlem Wharf (lock 13) the crew of the first boat I let through were having a lunch break, but came and ‘did’ the lock for me.  The sun has been out all day apart from a brief shower when all the boat crews got togged up in waterproofs (Pavlovian response?).  The shower only lasted about ten minutes then the sun was back and it’s been like a remembered normal summer’s day.
Moss Hall Aqueduct is where the canal crosses the River Weaver, it has a lovely view across rolling farm land covered in sheep and dairy cows.
Audlem is a tidy town with a positive Town Council, it has won awards as “Best Kept Village” and it’s easy to see why with clean streets, no obvious graffiti and flowers all around.  They have even produced a glossy brochure of a walk around town showing all the places of interest and giving the history when their use has changed (the Phoenix and the Crown Hotel were originally coaching Inns but are now the Co-op and flats).  It has been interesting following the walk.