One man went to mow ...

Kidsgrove to Bosley Bottom Lock

We're now two weeks into our Big Summer Cruise, but it feels longer than that. Time passes in a completely different way on a boat.

Soon after leaving last night's mooring on the Hall Green Branch of the Trent and Mersey we came to the stop lock where the Macclefield Canal proper begins. Or, rather, ends. The bridges and locks are numbered from Marple.

When we got to Bridge 85 we tied up and took sandwiches with us for a walk to Mow Cop.

Sometimes you can have too many arrows. Which way should we go? We chose to go over the stile.

This was the wrong way, which I realised after Jan had picked her way across a muddy bit.

The right way was to continue up the track up the hill, through the cow field, through the woods,
through the horse field, to get here.

I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. The Old Man of Mow is the peculiar rocky pillar in the photo below. (Looks more like a woman to me.)

I scrambled up to the trig point; this is the view from up there. Unfortunately it was too hazy to see very far.

Another local peak visible from the canal is The Cloud. Perhaps we'll walk up that next time we come this way.

After a total of only four hours cruising we came to Bosley Locks where we tied up and enjoyed a barbecue with great views.

The weather has remained excellent, although it has cooled off a bit compared with most of this fortnight. It is still T-shirt conditions, but I did wear a fleece first thing. Yesterday coming through Stoke-on-Trent we had some very fine drizzle, but it was hardly worth getting the coat on for it.