Peak cruising time

Tuesday 24th February to Wednesday 25th February 2015

After an easy Tuesday when we pretty well didn't do much at all - I got on with work and Diane held the bed down all day.
The weather was cold and raining, so it really wasn't a hard choice - with no need to move we stayed put.

Our time was up on Wednesday - these were only 48 hour moorings - so just on 9am we moved across the canal to the services to take care of the water and elsan and then headed off around at the junction.

The weather was almost perfect for cruising, with no wind and the temperature around 5-6C and just a little mist around.

But the Peak Forest canal is one of the most beautiful canals in the system and even today with it being winter it was still very pretty.

The off-side has been cut back and the hedges have all been trimed; the leaves have left the trees and all of the hills could clearly been seen.

Although shrouded in a bit of mist, the hills are still very lovely

Not even the couple of CaRT work parties carrying out rectification work on the towpath banks had any effect.

We came across Bridge 24 (Wood End Lift Bridge) which is being worked on due to an overweight vehicle going over it - quite pleasant not to have to wind it up and down.
 

Look - no lift bridge - if only they were all that easy.

Matlows factory - there was a sweet smell all of the way past it.

The canal is still, as always, a bit shallow, but even that did not affect the enjoyment of the cruise, and when finally we arrived at our destination - Bugsworth Basin - there were plenty of spaces in which to moor up.
We winded and reversed into the first finger of the moorings and tied up.

Off to Tesco at the junction to make up for a lack of opportunities at Marple - the towpath was very good and no mud - practically paved all of the way.

Back on board and we really just settled in for the day.

Tomorrow we will be out and about - Diane wants to see a few things that we have missed on previous visits.

An old friend of ours - Tone Fearne (nb Much Gigglin') - said to us early on in our boating days - there are over 2000 miles of canals; you can travel two different ways on each one; there are 4 seasons in the year - every combination of these is different and has it's own beauty.

I have never forgotten that and travelling the Peak Forest today reinforced that sentiment - it was a grand day cruising - this Peak cruising time!

7 miles, 1 lift bridge, 2 swing bridges
YTD: 73 Miles, 25 Locks, 1 Tunnel, 1 Lift Bridge, 3 Swing Bridge
Totals: 2967 Miles, 2146 Locks, 99 Tunnels, 35 Lift Bridges, 154 Swing Bridges