Snarestone Wharf (Ashby Canal) – Sunday 18th April

It was time to leave our lovely spot and move on to the end of the canal.

We passed some boats moored on the edge of a field of sheep with this beautiful willow tree hanging over a pond.  I missed getting a photo of the “lambs” – they were as big as their mothers!

There is an aqueduct over the River Sence at Shakerstone just after a sharp left hand bend in the canal.  We will stop and have a proper look at it on our way back tomorrow.

Snarestone Tunnel has a kink in its 250 yards, and it does look a bit strange. Both the entrances to the tunnel are Grade II listed.  

Out of the tunnel and we were at Snarestone Wharf.  There isn’t much mooring here but we were fine.  We walked up to the office/shop and saw a boat with a name that I remembered from a few years back, but I didn’t think it was the same one.  We crossed the little footbridge behind a lady, as she got to the end she turned round and said hello!  It was Lisa Webster from Chyandour.  We first met Lisa and Fred in Middlewich in June 2013.  Looking back on the blog I wrote “We went down the first of the Middlewich locks and just as I was approaching the second a couple approached me and asked if I was Mrs. Gifford-Hull!  After I picked myself out of the lock (!) I discovered that they were from Chyandour - a boat I follow both by blog and on Twitter.”  So, both times she recognised me - I must try and be more observant. 

In the afternoon the canal was very busy with paddle boarders, mainly children.  It is so nice to see the canal being used by other “craft”.  It seems there is a regular group who go there and also have a barbecue on the two that are provided. 

A beautiful Rolls Royce in the car park this afternoon

I had booked a Sainsburys delivery for this afternoon, so we wandered up to the shop, bought an ice-cream and sat and chatted to Fred and Lisa.  You wouldn’t really believe that has been nearly 8 years since we last met.  The delivery turned up and we collected our goods and walked back to the boat.  I always used to use Tesco for my delivery, but my allegiance has changed since lockdown.  At home I found Sainsburys much easier to get a slot and they also email on the morning the delivery is due telling me what the substitutions are, if any.  Maybe Tesco do that now too but, sorry Tesco you are too late!  At home we have a local Tesco and Sainsburys.  I always buy BOB milk but suddenly Tesco stopped stocking it but Sainsburys do, so my allegiance has changed for local shopping too.

4.36 miles