Anderton Lift and the Weaver

Anderton Lift and the Weaver.

Back again.. the next chapter in our old age travelling.. I mentioned the Harecastle tunnel in the last blog. Before we left Westport lake at Stoke I was talking to a couple who were moored behind us. They had just bought a ‘new to them’ narrow boat and were on the way home with their pride and joy. They were asking questions about the best way to tackle the tunnel, my advise, in the middle and as fast as you can….the bow wave will keep you in the middle. It was a lovely looking boat, a Hudson semi tug in great condition. We wished them luck and sailed off to continue our adventure.

On Facebook, we are members of the Narrowboat users group where we can keep in touch with other boaters, ask for help, discuss issues and generally be sociable. There was a situation reported of a narrow boat sinking in a lock a couple of days later. Complete with pictures. I was shocked to see it was the boat belonging to the people I was talking too. It seems the boat didn’t have a rear button, that is a rope fender which stops the rear of the boat hitting and damaging the tiller or propeller. When they closed the gate on a lock, the tiller was caught between the gates. As she lowered into the lock the rear didn’t go down, causing the bows to drop into the water until the water level caused it to sink.

So sad, locks can be very dangerous places.

I just hope they were insured and the company pays out. Not a good start to their boating experience.

When we first told people of our dream to live afloat one of our friends Frank and Susan who lived on the same park as us in Norfolk, said to us ‘if’ you ever go to the Anderton Lift please let us know because I want to have a ride on it !!

Frank and Susan

To say Frank is a character is an understatement, eccentric is perhaps to far, but he is a great guy. When the lift fell into disrepair and a group raised money for the restoration Frank and his friends did various motor cycle events to raise awareness and cash.

He is into small vintage motors cycles and other memorabilia. When we knew a day we would be arriving we emailed them as they only live a few miles from the lift.

The lift drops narrowboats down the 50 or 60 feet onto the River Weaver. It’s a huge construction which works on a cantilever system. You sail into a big trough they seal the ends then you are lowered down as another boat comes up the other side.

To say Frank was pleased to hear from us was an understatement !! He was like a kid on Christmas morning.

We had a couple of hours wait before we could go down so it was time for a lunch and coffee in the restaurant and a look round the visitor centre before boarding the boat and having the downward trip. Susan didn’t go on the boat sadly, a bit of a phobia but Frank was in seventh heaven. It was great to see. 

Entering the Anderton Lift

Frank and Bob

Anderton Lift

We turned out of the lift on too the River Weaver moored up for the night and we set off the next morning. Before he left Frank asked for a passage on the return trip of course we said yes. The River Weaver runs from the Anderton lift to Middlewich its was only this part of the river we wanted to see. There were some really big boats here. One sea going tug. Various wide beam boats and big locks. 

The first lock we came to too was being repaired so we had to wait for the guys doing it ..a voice drifted out from the CRT (Canal and River Trust) barge ‘so you made it then’, it was guy called Steve who we had met in Wheelock a few days earlier. Turned out he worked for CRT and lived in the canal side cottage.

The main cargo being moved on the river in the early days was salt, there are huge and I mean HUGE piles of the stuff down the river on the right hand side going down. Also lots of broken down walls and brick work. . I wondered what they were in the heyday of water transport. 

Salt Works

Salt mountain

26^th July was my birthday and after an overnight stop half way we arrived at the end of the navigable river, just by a pub called The Red Lion’ a new mooring outside under trees so had a very continental feel about it. We don’t usually use pubs in the lunch time but, it was hot, my birthday and the cider looked very inviting. A couple of pints later I remembered why we don’t drink at lunch time I was ready for a kip. Two hours later and refreshed it was decided we would go for a meal and a bottle of wine to celebrate my 68^th year.

The staff were absolutely lovely, we had a great laugh, I have a habit of pulling bar staffs legs, especially if they are new. One was a beautiful barmaid who was a full time worker in a bank but does evening work to get out of her flat. She even came over and sat with us for a while after she found out it was my birthday. Ok... I was flirting !! but it was my birthday. We only had a fish and chip supper and a few bottles of white wine but it was good.

Towards the end of the evening there was some live music which just rounded it off.

A great day..two girls ?? Well one girl and a quite unconvincing transvestite but could he/she play that guitar. Yes he/she could, I didn’t know any of the songs in the middle set but jazz blues style. Having just seen the film about Amy Winehouse it could have been some of her works. When Jenny left, just before the end, to take the pooches for a walk I was left on my own, I took the long way home one step forward, two side ways and one back . . repeat until you arrive at the boat. Well it was my buff day. I don’t get wobbly leg syndrome very often these days. 

Red Lion Mooring area

While we sat outside talking, a guy turned up on a bike after riding up the tow path. Jake as people may or not know hates bikes !! As soon as he saw him, or rather the bike he went into a barking fit, and tried to bite his tyres. We obviously apologised profusely

for his bad behaviour and the guy just laughed and said he’d seen worse, after he obtained a drink from the bar he came and joined us on our table.

It turned out his name was Rick and he was a dog behaviourist. We talked about Jake and his problems, not that he really has any apart from his bike phobia. Then Rick put Jake through the paces. Took him for a short walk. He had him walking to heel, stopped him doing what he wanted and generally showed him who was boss. He was very good.

At the end of his drink he bid farewell and mounted his bike but before he pedalled off Jake said bye bye . .. by playfully biting his foot !!

It was Jake having the last word. As usual. So funny. 

Rick and Jake

When we awoke next morning we had to reverse out of the mooring as there wasn’t enough room to turn around. Manoeuvring a 62ft narrow boat backwards on a flowing river is easier to say than do, however it was completed with out running aground and/or wedging ourselves across the river. I was quite chuffed. Returning back along the river with the flow this time. On the way down because of the width and plenty of room we did run the engine up to 3200 rpm the fastest we have had her.

We phoned Frank and he again joined us on the lift and waved us good bye as we sailed off to the next chapter of our old age adventure. We are retracing our steps due to various canal closures. Heading back toward home now via Birmingham...Have to be back by end of September.. TTFN Over to the editor for the pictures and you never know a video.