Wow! A day with almost no rain!
Alas, we were woken early by the sound of a faulty carbon monoxide detector telling us that it was no longer working! We decided not to go back to take a longer look at the Anderton Lift in favour of making progress. Just after we had started a boat cast off right in front of us (without looking, we daresay) and continued to hold up traffic for the next couple of hours or more by proceeding slowly and unwilling to let us pass! It also tried to pass another boat coming the other way under a narrrow bridge. Interesting!
Eventually we arrived at Middlewich after passing through the 'salt' country. Generations of brine pumping have caused widespread subsidence and more flash lakes beside the canal which has had to be re-built in places to cope. A number of processing factories remain alongside the route.
At Wardle Junction, where we had intended to turn onto the Middlewich Branch en route to Llangollen, there was a long queue of boats (mostly hire boats just setting out). A quick review of options led us to decide to continue down the Trent and Mersey instead with the possibility of going up the Macclesfield and/or Caldon Canals.
We made reasonable progress up the Wheelock flight despite following two boats of limited experience - we were reluctant to moor early as it was a splendid sunny - even warm - evening. Finally, the evening maintenance!