Saturday 11 June 2011

Manchester to Portland Basin

Spent a quiet night in Manchester and awoke to blue skies and sunshine, ready to tackle the Ashton flight of 18 locks. However our progress was hindered from the start as workmen were working near lock 2 and had drained the pound. After a little  while we managed to get enough water down to get the boat over the cill and get to the next lock. Further on at lock 12 we had our next obstacle as we found a car in the canal next to the lock, luckily we could just squeeze by. Just to finish off the day the heavens opened as we were trying to find moorings between a fishing match.

001 Piccadilly Village

002

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Start of the Ashton flight

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Just enough water to gingerly get by

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Manchester Stadium across the road from the lock

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Luckily we could just squeeze by

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Lock 18, the top of the Ashton flight at Fairfield Junction

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Junction Mill, Portland Basin

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Portland Basin junction onto the Peak Forest Canal

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Crossing the aqueduct over the River Tame

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Portland Basin Museum, home to historic wooden boats Forget me Not, Lilith and Hazel who is under current restoration

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The water wheel at the museum

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Moored just before bridge no 1 on the Peak Forest Canal

2 comments:

p-millhouse said...

good photo's,with first class descriptions.

Ali and John (NB Triskaideka) said...

That is exactly where we moored! Eventful day! We have collected the last of our stuff and loaded it onto the boat,locked up the house and are ready for the off, on Monday.