Marple

We do like the Marple flight, whilst many we meet complain of the locks being hard work, we don't find them too bad. 





The bottom paddles are a bit stiff, but it's good to have the top paddles on just the one side of the lock.

The locks are just the right distance apart for the 'lockie' to walk up to prepare the lock ahead and back to close the gate behind the boat. Or that's what we find anyway.

The gate paddles have baffles (is that the right word?) so the water is less likely to fill the front of your boat.

Samuel Oldknows Warehouse halfway up the flight, there was a loading arm into the building, the right hand arch, for the transhipment of goods.
A tramway brought goods from the Upper canal to the lower, before the locks were completed.

 Stonemasons marks on the lock walls. I wonder how many different stonemasons there were and how many blocks of stone they could work in a day.

 

The waterway here is just so pretty winding up the hill through the wooded river valley, then alongside the park and behind the houses, ducking under a couple of road bridges before the final locks beside the road to the junction with the Macclesfield Canal.

So that was our journey yesterday then on along the Upper Peak Forest, enjoying the way the views opened out to the peaks of the Derbyshire countryside, still following the river Goyt, with the railway on the other side.

No locks along this stretch, but a few swing and lift bridges.  We stopped last night a little short of Bugsworth, enjoying the quiet and the views, except just as we stopped the rain started, and it felt so cold, we just snuggled down with blankets, books, and even had the heating on for a while.


Today is our wedding anniversary.
30 years ago, 28.8.82, August Bank Holiday Saturday, and a very young looking couple promised to love, honour and cherish each other. It's not always been easy, but we've done our best, and today have thought of all the good things we have shared and enjoyed together. At the top of a long list are our two lovely children who make us very proud to be their Dad and Mum. What a lot we have to thank our God for.

We made the short run into Bugsworth Basin this morning in the bright morning sun,
finding a lovely mooring in one of the short arms in this lovely historic basin.

 

 

We hadn't intended staying here, but have spent the day walking, exploring the villages and enjoying the dry, warm day. So we are still here tonight.
More about Bugsworth tomorrow.

 

Monday

6 miles, 16 locks, 4 bridges

 

Tuesday

1 mile