Oh Deer!

This morning we met this little fellow swimming from side to side in the canal, unable to get out up the banks.

We weren't sure that if we stopped we would be able to do much with him, he was nervous of us and I'm not sure our lassooing skills are up to scratch. So we made a quick phone call to the MSC office and they said they would get in touch with someone to help.  I hope they did!
A little further on we came to Astley,

here you can see the colliery winding shaft.  Last time we came past it was on a day that the site was not open for visitors. Today it was, so we had a look round the museum and the old coal mining site.

the colliery winding shaft was sunk between 1908-12

The great steam engine house

one of the twin engines

the huge winding wheel

inside the wheel

explanation

outside, the cables would have come through the rectangular perspex covered holes in the wall.

At Leigh we passed the last of the Bridgewater cranes.  These are dotted all along the Bridgewater canal, I think they can still be used today in some cases for putting stop planks across the canal when it needs to be drained for working.
Here at Leigh the canal changes from Leigh branch of the Bridgewater Canal in the care of the Manchester Ship Canal Company, to Leigh branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and so now we are once again under BW or Canals and River Trust jurisdiction.

8 miles, 0 locks, 1 lift bridge