Overnight there had been plenty of rain and also the remnants of a hurricane provided a shirt period of high winds in many parts of the country. Where we had moored was relatively sheltered and so when we awoke we did not feel anything extraordinary about the wind.
Shortly after setting off we could see through the trees an apparently derelict mill building quite close to the canal. This was Unity Mill, originally a cotton mill but later served other purposes but fell empty in 2003, with little sign of it being developed. The local planners have set a framework and it seems that, at least in 2010, they are unkeen on it being used just for residential purposes. Any such proposal has to show that no non-residential use is possible. This may well be why nothing has happened and we wonder whether this might change with the new government emphasis on creating new housing.
After about 20 minutes cruising we arrived at Woodley Tunnel. As we came through a couple of walkers warned us that there is a tree blocking the canal just beyond the far end.
We emerged slowly and very soon had to pull in - no way through, only just overnight in the storm which perhaps had been stronger here than where we moored. We reported to CaRT even before we tied up.
Another boat arrived and were immediately determined not to be held up! They insisted that they could shift it. Before klong they found that it was not as easy at it might seem but they did manage to pull the main part away from the bank. Alas they did manage to break a throttle cable in the process. (How?) However this still left a lot of smaller branches in the way. They then despatched one of the crew to seek a good strong saw and he returned having managed to borrow one from a nearby house! They cleared enough and we were all able to help to pull them through a narrow gap. It was not easy as the canal is rather shallow at the bank edge just right where the tree had fallen. Alas they now had to await RCR to fix their cable but cheerfully encouraged us to try to pass. Gingerly we gave it a go and thought that we were past the branch when we became stuck, by mud not wood. Eventually after wiggling the boat side to side we managed to free ourselves and were on our way once more, nearly two and a half hours later.
Again, the canal runs through a wooded area with a steep drop down. It is not easy to capture the sense of the scale of this in a photo, but this is our best try!
Our second tunnel was Hyde Bank. Unlike Woodley, this has no towpath through is and a somewhat squat profile. The roof never feels very far above the steer's head.
Just after the exit from the tunnel a CaRT work party were patching a short section of the bank where there is concern that a breach might occur. We later heard that they think that it may need more than a patch quite soon.
Up until late in 19C, this would have been our third tunnel today - Rose Hill but then it was opened out and so we only have a narrow channel instead. See here for some history and old photos.
And so onto Marple Aqueduct with the railway viaduct alongside - just like at Chirk but here safety concerns led to the addition of a trailing on the off side a few years ago. Some sunshine had also arrived.
Looking back from the far end.
Already well into lunch time we moored up between the aqueduct and the Marple Locks. (The short length of mooring space below lock 1 was already full with three boats. We ended up with the prettier view!
We felt that it was now too late to attempt to go up the flight without arriving late and risking the lack of a mooring when we reached Marple Junction. The locks are all too closely spaced to make for safe overnight stops mid-flight.
In the afternoon we took (separately) short walks onto the aqueduct and up the first couple of locks. The River Goyt really is a long way down.
And here is a taster of what faces us tomorrow!
3.3 Miles - 0 Locks
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